Photosynthesis 101
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: A hotocultist is forced to flee her home, seeking the Institute. She is flung into the conflict between mutants and mutants, mutants and humans, and must find her place. AngelOC
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Begins right before the events of X-3, and contiues through and after X-3. Not a self-insertion, however. A plant-manipulating mutant is forced to flee her home, and seeks refuge at the Institute. Meeting Berxerker and other mutants, she learns how to function in their society, as well as accept herself.

Warning: Nothing yet, can't see it.

Disclaimer: Don't own any original X-Men or movies, duh. Own original plot and OCs, however.

Had this in my head, have writers-block on everything else, and this was born. I made up hotocultist, by the way. And as for Berzerker, his powers are modeled after the comics, his hair after Evolution, and his eyes I combined both. I like him, so stuck him in there. Hope you guys enjoy - just something for me to work on when I'm stuck on something, so don't expect regular updates.

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"Have you ever heard of Xavier's Academy for Gifted Youngsters?" Deitra asked her mother, coming into the kitchen with the television remote in her hand. Sarah glanced up at her child carelessly, turning another page of the newspaper. 

"Vaguely, yes. Why the sudden interest?" she replied, eyeing the girl over her glasses. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with anyone lately."

"No," the twenty year-old retorted, shrugging uncomfortably. Taking college courses online, the young woman was a hotocultist, and her power was reflected in her brown hair with natural-green shading, and her naturally dark-green nails. Her skin was barely tanned, and her eyes were an orange color – something she had decided was a reflection of the sun's importance to a plant, or something to that effect. To add to the irony, her name was taken from Demeter, the Greek goddess of the earth.

"So, why the question?" her mother repeated, returning to her paper.

"Why did you never mention it to me?" she prodded, a little irritated. Deitra had discovered her powers at the age of twelve, her hair and nails suddenly changing drastically, and her response had been to escape school and hide away in her house. She had begun to venture outside recently, but with the anti-mutant propaganda running rampant, she thought it best not to.

"I didn't think it was important."

Deitra closed her eyes in an effort to remain calm, and clenched her hands tightly for a moment before turning and walking out of the room. Barely 5'3", her hair reached mid-back with several angled pieces in the front, and her figure was anything but imposing to her amused mother.

* * *

Living in Herkimer, New York, Deitra Burton had been channel-hopping when she had come across a news report mentioning the school, and was intrigued by the idea of mutants living together in what seemed to be a communal society. The offering of the cure by Worthington Labs caught her attention as well, but wasn't so sure she'd trust other people with her genetics. 

"Anyway, you guys would be lonely if I left, right?" she asked her cactus, which sat in the open window. Able to manipulate any and all plant life – something she had worked on since her discovery – she was able to keep something like a cactus alive in snow if she wanted to, but thought the idea was cruel. Grinning at the plant, seeming to hear something in her head, she returned to her laptop and the online course, skimming over the lecture casually, not really caring at the moment.

Her father had been unable to deal with the changes occurring in his daughter, and a divorce followed soon after her thirteenth birthday, along with his moving away and remarrying. Deitra was blissfully unaware that her power had caused her to become one of the most powerful mutants currently in North America, and was happy hiding away in her upstairs room and chatting online, pretending to be a normal young woman over the internet.

Frowning at the cactus in a sudden mood swing, her eyes widened when it began to brown and wilt, and she hurriedly placed a hand on it, making cooing noises.

"Oh, I'm sorry – it's all right, I'm fine," she assured it, sounding like a mother reassuring a small child, and she sighed in relief when it became green once more and grew even more. "That's a good baby," she smiled gently, truly loving each plant she came into contact with. In her mind, feeling the plants, they each had personalities like human beings, and this cactus was particularly emotionally-needy.

Something out the window caught the corner of her eye, and her eyes narrowed when she saw several people dressed in white with a red hand on the back of their shirts strode down the street, looking as if they were following someone.

"Not the Church," she muttered, having heard of the Church of Humanity, but preferring to avoid anyone who spoke of them. The group had several websites dedicated to mutant hatred, and some of their sentiments made her blood run cold. Watching them cautiously, Deitra blinked in surprise when they accosted an older man in his front yard, someone she knew for a fact wasn't a mutant at all. Having met him several times, she had liked his frankness, and had even used her power to aid in his gardening efforts.

Unable to hear properly, she frowned and moved her cactus to her desk, scrambling down the vines that obligingly supported her. Feet on the ground, she used her power to sense the plants in the old man's yard, and she grew angry at their fright. What surprised her further was that the Church seemed to be suspecting the man of 'mutantry' because of his exceptionally-beautiful garden in early winter, when everything else was dead or asleep.

Growing ashamed that she might be the cause of the man's trouble, and even angrier, Deitra stalked toward the scene, not seeing anyone else coming to help the poor man. As one of the people raised their hand, a crowbar in his hand, she narrowed her eyes, several feet away from the yard.

"What the hell?" the man yelped, as a vine shot up and encased his arm, squeezing until he lost all feeling.

"You're using your powers on us!" the leader accused the man, who stammered apologies through his fright.

"N-no, I've never…I have no idea…"

"I'm the mutant!" Deitra announced loudly, catching their attention. One look assured the men that the female in front of them was the mutant, and they began to stalk towards her. Staying her ground, Deitra caused cactus needles to lodge themselves in their legs, and the grass to become like thorns.

"You bitch!" another person, a woman, shrieked. Deitra noticed the man had escaped inside his house, and grinned slightly.

"I'm a mutant," she told the group calmly, gesturing to them with her hand. "Like to see some confirmation of that?" she asked, as vines streaked toward the Church members in force, wrapping around the people and tossing them across the street. She frowned, not liking using plants as a weapon, but knew that if necessary, vines were much more pliable than any other shrubbery around, and less likely to be hurt by her actions.

"This will be your last night in this town," the leader promised her, and she only waved as they rushed from the cul-de-sac in surprise.

"Deitra!" her mother shrieked, and the young woman turned around only to be slapped full in the face by her enraged parent. "What are you thinking?" the woman demanded. "You've put us both in danger with that little display! Don't you have any consideration for me at all?"

"I'll leave," Deitra said calmly, privately amazed she wasn't just as frightened as her mother – and as the neighbors surely were as well.

"Leave?" her mother repeated loudly, her voice rising once again. "Leave where? Where do you think someone like you could possibly go?"

"To Xavier's," the mutant replied promptly, the idea popping into her head as soon as she said it. "I'll go there."

"You think they'll just take you in, like a stray dog?" her mother spat, in over her head. "You're such an arrogant brat! To think you're my daughter!"

"I'll never understand it either," Deitra agreed evenly. Her temper was nonexistent, and now that she had the dangerous Church after her and been ousted as mutant, she felt calmer than she ever had for some reason. "I'll pack my things and leave as soon as possible. I'll make sure they know I've gone."

She strode towards the house, leaving her mother in shock in the driveway. The overwhelmed woman noticed, through the haze of anger, that small flowers appeared in her daughter's footsteps.

* * *

"How do I do that?" Deitra wondered, shoving some clothing into a travel suitcase. Her promise had sounded good before, but now she was stuck as to how exactly she could assure her mother's safety. Frowning in concentration, she shoved several last-minutes items into the already-bulging suitcase and grunted as she closed it, wanting to travel relatively light. Her laptop was already in its travel-friendly, light and small, carrying case, and she slipped on her black trenchcoat on with a sigh. Swinging the laptop case over one shoulder so the strap crossed over her breasts, and glancing at the suitcase, she shook her head regretfully. 

"Too much," she muttered, opening it and beginning to toss things out. Reminding herself she could always buy new clothing somehow, she emptied most of the contents onto her bed, leaving only essential items and some personal effects she refused to leave behind.

"Much better," she told herself, grateful the suitcase also had a long strap and carried it opposite the laptop, leaving her hands free. Using her window once again as an escape route, Deitra landed softly on the ground outside and looked around, suddenly feeling anxious. An overwhelming urge to retreat back into her house came over her, but she shook it off with effort.

"I can't go back," she said out-loud, and somehow saying the words aloud helped. Squaring her shoulders, she began her long walk, heading first to where the Church of Humanity's headquarters were known to be.

* * *

"Well, I guess that's easy enough," she shrugged, viewing her work with some satisfaction. Using daisies, she had spelled out 'I'M GONE' on their lawn, and vines crawled into the building, breaking windows and doors wherever she had found them. She knew it left no doubt who the culprit was, and grinned in satisfaction as she turned back around. Thanking her luck that she had taken the GPS system from her mother's car, she began to figure out what route she could take the Institute. 

"And what if they _don't_ want me?" she asked herself out-loud, making her way through backyards and alleys with a bit of trouble. She frowned and pushed the idea way, but the thought persisted to bother her.

"I'll figure it out," she announced, and paused to catch her breath. She was in good shape, but travel like this was hardly usual for her. "There has _got_ to be an easier way…" she grumbled, and took a moment to try to figure something out. Glancing to her pocket, she smacked herself on the forehead when she realized she could take a bus to the town near the Institute, and save herself quite a bit of walking.

"You dunce," Deitra chastised herself, and straightened her back with a sigh. "Well, time to head _back_ the way I came to the bus stop," she groaned, turning around.

* * *

"Whew, just made it," Deitra sighed, leaning back in the seat of the Greyhound bus in relief. She had just barely reached the bus stop in time, and was satisfied that she could relax a little during the trip. She anticipated the trip would take about day, considering stops and traffic, and took another sigh of relief, her bags in the seat next to her. Closing her eyes, she ran her fingers through her hair restlessly, nervousness suddenly gnawing at her. 

"Hey, you lost or something?" a young man asked, looking down at her curiously. She glanced up, half in surprise and half fearful it was a Church member, and narrowed her eyes when she saw his appearance.

"_Mutant – has to be,"_ she thought, seeing his dark-blue eyes with white irises and strange hairstyle, as well as blue earring in his left ear, and shrugged.

"Not really."

"You know, just 'cause I look different, doesn't mean I'm a freak," he said suddenly, and she blinked in surprise.

"Um, I didn't say anything."

"Whatever," he muttered, and Deitra sighed.

"I'm Deitra," she offered, holding out her hand as a peace offering. He looked at her warily for a moment before taking it reluctantly.

"Ray Crisp."

"Nice to meet you," she smiled, scooting over and moving her bags onto the floor. "You can sit down, if you want."

"Sure, why not?" he shrugged, taking the seat next to her. "You running away?" he asked abruptly, and Deitra could only look at him. "Hey, it's all right, I won't tell," he grinned. "I'm not, exactly. Hey," he began, lowering his voice significantly and leaning in close so his lips barely brushed her ear. "You a mutant?" he asked, and she jerked back, now scared she had gotten into trouble.

Ray sat back immediately, looking a little embarrassed. Deitra, for her part, could only stare at him nervously.

"_He knows…he must be with them after all."_

"I'm one too," he confided. "It's your eyes – they give you away."

Deitra remained silent, not convinced he wasn't with the Church. Ray had only thought he was offering something in common, and huffed in irritation.

"Fine, whatever," he said, moving to get up. Panicked, Deitra grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

"No, wait!" she hissed, and the young man finally seemed to realize she was scared.

"Hey, you _are_ running, aren't you?" he prodded, and she nodded.

"The Church," she whispered, and it was his turn to be surprised.

"Holy shit," he breathed. "I don't envy you there. Where're ya going?"

"To Xavier's Institute," she admitted. "I was hoping they could take me in. With all the anti-mutant feeling…it's the only safe place."

"I hear ya," he nodded. "I'm heading there too, actually."

"Why?" she asked curiously, and he shrugged, folding his arms behind his head.

"Honestly? Not sure," Ray told her. "But where I live is crap, and I thought maybe something might be there for me. What's your power?" he asked, once more whispering.

"Plants," she said briefly. "Hard to explain."

"Electricity – I can show you later," the 6'3" mutant winked, and Deitra laughed despite herself.

* * *

The sun wasn't long from setting by the time the bus reached their stop, and the two young adults got off with yawning and stomachs growling. Deitra had found out that Ray Crisp was her age and had moved quite a bit during his years, which caused her to guess that he didn't have family, or was estranged from them. 

"So, which way now?" he asked, and she dug the GPS system out of her pocket, and was met with laughter.

"What?" she asked curiously, and he shrugged.

"Just funny."

"Whatever," she sighed, and returned to the computer. "I think we go…that way. It should be pretty visible, considering how large it is," she informed him, and he nodded.

"Good point. I'd fly, but –"

"What? You can fly?" Deitra asked enviously, and he nodded sheepishly.

"Yeah – lemme take the bag," he added, reaching out for her suitcase. Deitra eyed him, and he stared back calmly. "What?" he demanded. "I'm trying to be a gentleman! And I've got nothing to carry," he added with a grin, and she nodded.

"All right, thanks," she said, handing him her suitcase gratefully. "I guess we should get going."

"I hope they have something to eat," Ray grumbled, and as they began to stroll through the town Deitra turned her thoughts to his powers.

"So…electricity…what can you do?" she prodded. "Besides flying."

"Well, I'm basically a human superconductor," he told her, with a slight wince. "If I get wet, I pass out – it's happened a few times."

"Like, with rain?"

"It has to be a lot," he added, sounding a bit offended before continuing. "I can absorb all forms of electro-magnetic energy, and can rechannel the energy into concussive blasts. I also use it to recharge batteries," he laughed. "And it's a great way to disrupt computerized systems."

"Stay away!" she ordered jokingly, pocketing the GPS system protectively.

"Hey, no biggie," Ray grinned, and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets with a shrug. "I got nicknamed Berzerker. You?"

"Me?" she asked in surprised, pointing at herself. "I don't have a nickname."

"Well, what about your power?" he prodded, and she gestured to a small, unobtrusive shrubbery nearby.

"See that?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah. So what?"

"Watch," Deitra said in self-satisfaction, concentrating on the plant. Ray's eyes widened when the bush came back to life within seconds, even showing off small blue flowers.

"Nice. Can you do that with any plant?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Just about. And some more stuff, that's more…well, it's less subtle," she added quietly, and he nodded sympathetically.

"I hear ya there."

* * *

Herkimer is in the middle of NY, and Westchester County is south of there, so I just guessed at how long a stupid bus trip would take. Sue me. (No, please don't!) Please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Ah, thank you Kana090 for your lovely PM and encouragement! It's the only reason I'm updating - I found it on my memory disk and am using my mom's comp for it. Ah well. Now, Ray can fly in the comic, so I had him be able to, Amara I'm using her comic appearence instead of Evo, and Piotr is like he is from the movies. This takes place the winter before X3, since I think that judging from scenery shots all the fighting where Xavier dies is in spring. If not, ah well - either spring or fall, but by all the color and flowers I thought spring.

I think that's it. Next chapter skips through a lot, and this one is really just introducing and working the plot out. Enjoy!

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

The two continued walking in silence for some time until they reached a shaded lane. The sun was still in the sky, providing some light, but the streetlights had automatically come on anyway, and there weren't many people down the lane.

"I think this is the road that leads to the Institute," Deitra told her companion, who nodded, appearing a little testy. "What's the matter?" she asked, and he grunted.

"Nothing."

She looked around nervously, but was unable to hear or sense anything, and shrugged.

"All right, if you say so," she said, and took several steps forward before she realized Ray wasn't following. "Could you tell me what's wrong, huh?" she asked impatiently, and gasped when he suddenly dived towards her, pulling them both to the ground and rolling into the bushes.

"Make cover!" he ordered. Taken by surprise, she immediately did so, and the bushes grew over them thickly in a matter of seconds.

"Who is it?" she whispered, but he shook his head.

"I dunno – the Church, maybe," he replied, just as quietly. "But someone's out there."

"What, you've got a sixth sense now?"

"I can just tell," he said tersely, and she fell silent, watching him nervously. The mutant's eyes were narrowed and he remained crouched next to her, looking like he was ready to spring at any second.

"So, what do we do?" she asked. "We need to get to the Institute. And I hate running around in the dark."

"I gotta kill the GPS, sorry," he told her, before reaching and grabbing the device. She watched, fascinated, as a blue glow and sparks emitted from the small thing as he gripped it, absorbing the electricity inside it. She had never seen any other mutant, let alone a usage of powers, and it somehow comforted her.

"It's okay," she grinned, taking the dead device and tucking it away again. "What's the plan?" she prodded, and he glanced towards the streetlights.

"I'm gonna blow 'em – and we'll see what they do," he decided, and she nodded. "Get ready…" he warned her, and seconds later shot a burst of electricity towards the nearest streetlight. The explosion caused a chain-reaction, and the lane was shortly as dark as the rest of the area.

"What the hell?" a voice cried out, and another yelped.

"There's another!"

"Let's go!" Ray ordered, pulling Deitra to her feet and starting to run down the lane. She pumped her legs to keep up with him, and glanced behind to see several people rushed after them, weapons aloft.

"Wait!" she panted, turning around and using the shrubbery to create a barrier that would most definitely deter their pursuers.

"Nice," he whistled, and then groaned. "They've got us surrounded anyway."

"Now what?" she demanded, back-to-back with the young man.

"I'm gonna fly," he told her. "Just don't move," he added, shifting and grasping her underneath her shoulders. She yelped when they suddenly shot into the air, and closed her eyes tightly to avoid seeing the Church members below. "You okay?" he checked, dodging a bullet.

"Fine," she managed. "How far you can do this?"

"It's more like long jumping – and I don't usually have passengers," he admitted, setting his teeth. "I can do a few more miles, but that should be enough distance, especially in the dark."

"Good," she agreed, her legs dangling beneath her and making her feel as if she were in a roller coaster. Ray was horizontal, and she was hanging vertically from his grip. Reaching up, she grasped his shoulder for extra support, not wanting in the least to be dropped.

* * *

"Phew," Ray sighed, dropping Deitra gently onto her feet and landing beside her. The sun was now gone, and the Institute's gates were in view. "Finally."

"You okay?" she asked, and he shot her a tired grin.

"Just need to recharge, is all," he joked, but rolled his shoulders with another sigh. "Actually, I'm beat," he admitted with a small laugh, and she grinned back.

"We're almost there," she said, as they began jogging, not wanting to take the chance their attackers had followed them in the dark. "I'm nervous," she said suddenly, and he glanced at her before shrugging.

"Yeah, me too."

"Do you think they'll let us in?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"I dunno – I hope so, or else I dunno where else to do," he told her. "Let's just hope they do."

"Yeah," Deitra nodded, glad Ray was still carrying her suitcase. The mutants moved fast, and they soon reached the gates, not realizing they had someone following them until it was too late.

"Shit!" Ray yelped, when someone lunged at them. They dived apart, and the man rose to his feet, a long club-like object in his hands. "What the hell, man?" the young man complained, but was met with a glare.

"You freaks aren't getting in there," he began, but was cut off when vines wrapped themselves around his mouth and legs, dropping him to the ground.

"I like that trick," Ray commented, and she grinned.

"Thanks. I guess you're not able to short-circuit it, huh?" she sighed, looking at the security system to unlock the gates.

"Nope, but I think I can get us over it," he told her, grabbing her and jumping over. Sure enough, they landed safely on the other side, and took off towards the building without looking behind them, though Deitra knew the man was still tied up. Both panting, they staggered up the steps and fell into the doors, Ray pounding loudly on them while Deitra propped her hands on her knees. After a few moments, he banged again, quickly losing his temper.

"Maybe they're asleep?" she suggested.

"It's not that goddamn late!" he muttered. "Stupid bastards are trying to get us killed!" He probably would have continued, except a woman with white hair answered the door, looking surprised to see the two young people outside the doors.

"Hello. Is something wrong?" she asked calmly, and was met with a glare from Ray.

"Damn straight," he growled. "We got a Church member after us – you gonna let us in, or make us go away? 'Cause I'd like to know right now."

"Ray!" Deitra objected, but the woman nodded solemnly.

"Come in, immediately," she ordered, stepping aside as they stumbled into the mansion. "You both look quite the mess," she observed, and they were unable to do anything other than collapse on the floor, trying to catch their breath. "My name is Ororo Munroe," she began, standing over them. "I am one of the Institute's teachers. As soon as you catch your breath, I would like to know who you two are."

"Deitra…Burton," the girl gasped, and gestured to Ray. "Ray Crisp. We're both...mutants."

"I assumed that much," the woman said dryly, hands on her hips. "Why are you here?"

"We _told_ you!" Ray said sharply, and Deitra nodded.

"We met on the way here," she explained, getting back to her feet now that she could breath normally. "Church of Humanity members in my town found out I was a mutant and I left so my mother wouldn't be attacked. They followed me, and almost got us at the gate."

"They will not dare come into our property," Ororo said primly, and something in her tone suggested they had already tried. "Now, you two are here to stay, I assume?"

They both nodded, Ray a bit reluctantly, and she observed them for a long moment before nodding slowly.

"I will bring you to the Professor. Come this way," she ordered, turning her back and beginning to stride down a hallway. Glancing at each other, the two shrugged and managed to follow her, both exhausted and hungry. As they passed rooms, they saw mutants of all ages and races, and Deitra would have paused to watch some of them use their powers except that Ray took her elbow and dragged her after him determinedly.

"You're not gonna leave me on my own after putting me through that," he muttered, and she grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry."

"Just come on," he ordered, tugging her some more to catch up to Ororo. They stopped when she reached a door, and turned to look at the pair.

"Wait here a moment," she said, stepping into the office.

"I wonder if they'll keep us?" Ray wondered, leaning against a wall with a sigh.

"If not, we're screwed," Deitra said, and he nodded in agreement. As they waited, several people passed them – a tall young man with a few other younger mutants, who glanced at them curiously before he herded them on, nodding a 'hello' to the two as they passed.

"I wonder what he is," the mutant wondered, and she shrugged.

"I'm sure we'll find out eventually – I hope," she added, and he grunted. They stood outside the door for a few minutes before the woman came back out, gesturing them inside.

"The Professor will see you," she told them, and Ray snorted as they passed her into the office.

"How gracious of him."

"It is, considering how you arrived," the man in a wheelchair said pleasantly, scaring the two young adults. "You are Ray Crisp – and Deitra Burton, of course," he continued, and they nodded, Ororo closing the door and leaving them alone with the Professor. "I understand you escaped here."

"Yes, sir," Deitra nodded, when it was obvious Ray wasn't going to talk. "I didn't know where else to go."

"I can imagine you both experienced difficulty, seeing as your physical appearance shows your true nature," the Professor said gently, and Deitra shrugged uncomfortably while Ray grunted.

"You could say that – I'm Berzerker."

"Interesting."

"So…can we stay?" Deitra asked, deciding to take the bull by the horns. "I want to – and neither of us have anywhere else to go."

"I'm not in the habit of turning away mutants who need my help," the man told them with a smile. "I told Ororo to prepare beds in the dorms for you both."

"Wait, hold on – _dorms_?" Ray interrupted, sounding disgusted. "What makes you think I'm gonna sleep with a bunch of strangers?"

"Or, you can sleep on the roof," the Professor amended, and Ray stared at him slack-jawed before crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Even with the Church after us – me?" Deitra persisted, and was surprised when he nodded.

"Yes – I knew you both were coming the moment you stepped off the bus," the mutant leader informed them calmly. "Your circumstances are quite clear to me. And this is a dangerous time for all mutants."

"You're telling me," Ray muttered, and winced when Deitra elbowed him. "Hey!"

"What about…well, everything?" she asked, feeling a little overwhelmed, but the man only smiled at them gently.

"We can discuss it in the morning. Right now, you both need some food and sleep, in the order. Ororo is outside waiting, so if you'll follow her, she'll make sure both of you are taken care of," he told them, the conversation plainly over. "Good night, and I will talk to you in the morning."

"Good night…Professor," Deitra said after a pause, unsure what to call him. Ray merely shrugged at the man, who watched them with a smile as they left the office, following Ororo once more into the depths of the mansion.

* * *

"This is Piotr Rasputin, Colossus, one of our older students," Ororo began, introducing them to the tall young man they had seen earlier. Both were forced to look up at him, and he nodded down at them solemnly. "And this is Amara Aquilla, Magma," the woman continued, and a young woman taller than Deitra by several inches with blond hair and blue eyes smiled. "They will show you around the Institute tonight and tomorrow, and help you settle in," Ororo informed the two newcomers.

"Nice to meet you," Amara said, grinning at them. Deitra smiled back nervously, and Ray shrugged.

"I will leave you alone now. Do not stay up too late," Ororo said warningly, and left the four together in the kitchen.

"You are probably hungry," Piotr said, in his thick Russian accent.

"Yeah, what a surprise," Ray said sarcastically, moving towards the fridge. "You guys got anything decent to eat?"

"Take what you want," the other young man said calmly, and Ray promptly helped himself to the contents of the refrigerator.

"I'm hungry too, actually," Deitra said, and Amara smiled again.

"You can follow your friend's example," she told the young woman. "There's plenty. We've already eaten."

"Thanks." Deitra nodded, digging around and finding a tuna sub lying by itself. Sitting down at the table, she began to eat it with relish, her stomach thanking her for remembering it.

"So, what're your powers?" Amara asked curiously, she and Piotr joining them at the table.

"Electricity," Ray mumbled through his own food, and casually short-circuited one of several toasters.

"Very funny," Amara said primly, eyeing him before turning to Deitra. "And you?"

"A hotocultist – plant manipulator," she added, too tired for a show.

"If you two are done eating, you look like you're about to collapse," Piotr said critically, eyeing them both. "You must have had a long day."

"You don't know the half of it," Ray grunted, reminded of the dorms. "So, how come we gotta sleep in dorms? For god's sake, I'm twenty years old!"

"It's just for tonight," Amara assured him, as the small group got to their feet, remains of Ray and Deitra's late dinner scattered on the table. "We can find you some rooms tomorrow. Just don't expect anything fancy."

"Just some privacy," the young man complained, falling into step with the easy-going young woman while Deitra remained in the kitchen a moment longer, looking around curiously. Piotr, who had been following the other two out, looked over his shoulder and noticed her, turning back to stand a few feet away.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"I'm sorry to be a bother," she apologized, smiling sheepishly and taking a few steps toward the door. "This is just so…different than where I used to live. So many people around – and mutants."

"It does take some getting used to," he agreed, as they headed into the hallway. "Amara seems to have forgotten I'm not allowed near the dorm," he added, and she looked up at him curiously.

"Why not?"

"They're divided into men and women's," Piotr told her. "So, basic rules apply. Older students get private rooms, so there's nothing to worry about."

"I don't mind either way," she admitted with a shrug. "As long as I have…a bed," she finished, interrupting herself with a yawn and a laugh.

"Amara!" the Russian called, as they caught up to them a few moments later.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the blond apologized with a laugh. "Piotr, you take Ray, and Deitra – come on, before you collapse," she ordered, taking Deitra's elbow firmly. The young woman suddenly realized how tired she was, the adrenaline of the fight and rush of entering the Institute wearing off, and tried to suppress several more yawns.

"See ya in the morning!" Ray called, as the pairs split off down different hallways on the second floor in a large wing.

"Night," Deitra managed, waving a little as Amara guided her. A few seconds later, they heard footsteps running to catch up, and Ray handed over her suitcase with a grin.

"Forgot about this," he joked, and Deitra took with a smile of her own.

"Thanks, Ray," she said, as he turned to catch up with an amused Piotr.

"So, have you known him long?" Amara asked. The two young women entered what looked to be a college dorm room, with bunks lining the walls. The lights were already off, and although some of the children were asleep, most were holding whispered conversations and giggling fits. At the sight of Amara and a stranger, they fell silent momentarily before returning to their business. Amara, for her part, ignored them, and Deitra was too tired to notice at all.

"No – just met this morning," she told her guide, shrugging her bags onto the floor when Amara stopped near a bunk.

"You can have the bottom – I'll take the top in case you…well, you know," Amara trailed off, slightly embarrassed, but Deitra understood and appreciated her meaning.

"Thanks."

"I'll get you something to change into, and –"

"I'm fine," Deitra interrupted her sleepily, collapsing onto the mattress with a contended sigh. "I just need…some…"

"Wow," Amara whispered, a little impressed someone could fall asleep so fast in their clothing, jacket and all. Watching the girl for a few moments to make sure she was all right, Amara left to change into her own pajamas, climbing into the top bunk quietly after a few moments and warning the other girls not to get too loud.

* * *

Yes, this is still Angel/OC. I love Piotr, but no romance with anyone else, so don't worry! Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Here's another one for you, Kana090! Why the HELL am I getting all these hits, and no reviews?! Do people have no manners now?!? It's really beginning to annoy the crap out of me, if you couldn't tell. Anyway, nothing to say about this one.

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"Are you sure this wise, Professor?" Ororo asked late that night, meeting him in the office after sending the two new mutants on their way. "I know you knew they were coming, but…" 

"It's quite safe, Ororo," Xavier assured her with a smile. "Deitra is not aware of it, but her powers are quite enormous. With further training, she may become a very real threat. And it isn't right to allow her to be caught by the Church, or Magneto's group."

"And the boy?"

"Powerful as well," he said. "I have a feeling this winter will be our last peaceful winter, Ororo. Let's enjoy it while we can. And have Deitra begin Danger Room exercises shortly."

* * *

"Good morning!" 

Deitra answered Amara's cheerful greeting with a groan, feeling like every muscle in her body had been stretched and held back with duct tape.

"Used your powers too much, huh?" Amara asked sympathetically, crouched beside the mattress. Deitra kept her eyes closed, hoping she could get more sleep, but it wasn't meant to be. "It's almost ten in the morning, and nothing helps sore muscles than a hot shower and moving them," the mutant continued. "So, I'll show you the bathroom, you can change and eat something, and we'll continue our tour from last night. Come on, outta bed."

"All right," Deitra muttered, rolling over and promptly landing on the floor, face-down.

"Ouch," the other young woman winced, helping Deitra to her feet. "You really took a beating."

"I guess so," the hotocultist sighed, rubbing her head despondently. "Shower?"

"This way – is your stuff in here?" Amara checked, grabbing the suitcase. When Deitra nodded, she grinned and hefted it up. "All right, if you need something I'll lend it to you for now. The bathroom's this way…Nice, huh?" she prodded, as they entered the bathroom. Several shower stalls lined a wall, but all had their own frosted glass doors and space, nothing like what Deitra had envisioned in a rather-strange dream the night before. Sinks and a long rectangular mirror were opposite the showers, and Deitra winced when she caught a glance of herself.

"I think I'm good," Deitra said, and Amara placed her bag down with a nod.

"I'll wait in the dorm – I have some studying to do anyway," she laughed. "Holler if you need anything."

"Sure, thanks," the young woman agreed, and took a deep breath when she was finally alone. Her head was ringing and her legs were wobbling, and she stripped off her clothing stiffly before stretching lazily and wincing. Turning towards the stalls, Deitra indulged herself in a hot shower and primping session that lasted almost forty-five minutes before she emerged from the bathroom, changed into a new outfit – her only other one, actually – her hair done, and her makeup highlighting her eyes.

"You look a lot better," Amara told her, looking up in surprise. "You didn't take as long as I thought."

"Huh?" Deitra asked in surprise, wearing sneakers, black boot-cut hip-huggers, and a fitted jade-colored turtleneck. "Why?"

"Most new kids take their sweet time their first day," the mutant told her with a grin. "We've got a schedule here, and it takes some getting used to."

"Like everything else," Deitra agreed, and Amara nodded, getting to her feet.

"Hungry?"

"Not really," she admitted, but Amara shrugged.

"Well, better eat something anyway, and then I'll show you the rest of the place. Piotr and Ray came by earlier, and we'll meet them later during lunch."

"All right," Deitra agreed, following the young woman out of the dorm with another yawn that had lingered the entire time she was in the bathroom.

* * *

The day passed quickly for Deitra, absorbed in exploring the mansion and her fellow mutants, providing Amara much amusement in the process. Piotr and Ray joined them in the afternoon, and the two older students had their hands full keeping the other two from getting into too much trouble in their explorations. The next week passed in the same manner for Deitra – rather quietly, but with a feeling that something was lingering in the background, waiting for her. 

Sure enough, that weekend, Ororo approached Deitra while she was in the library, looking stern.

"Did I do something, Ms. Munroe?" Deitra asked in surprise, but the woman shook her head.

"No – but I have something to show you that Amara cannot," she told the young woman. "Piotr has already brought Ray downstairs. They are waiting for us."

"But…I thought downstairs was off-limit," the hotocultist protested, following Storm down the halls. The woman merely remained silent, and Deitra felt nervous as they entered the special doors, jumping when they closed behind her. She sighed in relief at seeing Ray and Piotr in front of them, and then took a moment to survey her surroundings.

"This is the basement for the X-Men," Ororo informed them calmly. "Here is the hospital, Danger Room, training courses, and laboratories. Only members of the X-Men are allowed down here."

"Then why are we…holy shit!" Ray yelped, realizing why they had been brought down. "You mean we're gonna be part of the team?"

"What?" Deitra interrupted, feeling overwhelmed. "How come?"

"Both of you possess powerful mutations," Ororo explained, the three young adults falling into step behind her as she led them through the halls. "The Professor decided it would be best if you trained as a team, to control your powers further."

"Wow," Ray breathed, as they entered the 'locker room', where the X-Men suits and equipment were.

"Your uniforms are there," the woman told them calmly, gesturing to a bench were two leather suits were waiting. "Put them on. Piotr will bring you to the Danger Room when you are finished." With those instructions, the weather witch strode from the room, and Ray shrugged with a grin, tossing off his shirt.

"Hey!" Deitra protested, her cheeks bright, but Piotr guided her to another room.

"You'll get used to changing quickly, but the girls change in here," he told her, and she grinned up at him in relief.

"Thanks," she said, disappearing into the room.

* * *

"How in the hell can you guys move in these things?" Ray demanded in irritation, his suit much like Bobby's and Logan's, with white-blue highlights. "All this damn leather – good god!" he complained, and glared at Piotr. "No wonder you don't have sleeves." 

"This is ridiculous!" Deitra complained. Her boots reached her knees, and her suit zippered up the front, being a one-piece with the gloves part of the arm, and having fingerless hands and green highlights. She strode out, looking annoyed, and pulled her hair into a ponytail. "You're all insane," she grumbled, but the Russian allowed himself a grin at their expense.

"You'll get used to it," he told them. "It's an honor, being part of the X-Men."

"Yeah, I know," Ray sighed, and looked up when Piotr got to his feet. "Where're we going now?"

"The Danger Room," he said. "Come on, Ororo's waiting." He began to leave them alone, and the two newbies glanced at each other nervously before rushing after him, still stiff in the suits.

* * *

As the holidays neared, Ray grew into his new membership with ease, enjoying the Danger Room sessions with Piotr and the others greatly. Deitra, on the other hand, found herself unsuited for combat, especially when there wasn't any live plants in the basement at all, creating some difficulties in her training. Ororo, on conferring with Professor Xavier, moved her to a secluded spot in the gardens where she could practice with Piotr, the only one she wasn't afraid of accidentally slicing in two with a well-placed hit. Nevertheless, she had formed a loose friendship with the other young adults of the team, still preferring to be alone but not minding when one joined her for a talk. 

When the snow fell heavily in New York and Christmas arrived, Deitra had long been taken by Amara to get some clothing and other items she needed, having only brought one change of clothes. The hotocultist had continued her online studies, and was grateful for both the holiday break and her new room – though small, she at least had the privacy she was accustomed to. Most of the time.

Deitra neither gave nor received for Christmas, except for a few trinkets, but felt more content than since she had discovered her powers. There was no one to watch her nervously, and no reason for her to hide away, and the holiday season passed cheerfully for all involved.

* * *

As winter began to give way to spring, the weather still cool enough to demand jackets, talk of a 'mutant cure' continued to grow and the students became aware of trouble within the school. Teacher Scott Summers, Cyclops, had disappeared, and no one was sure what had happened. Shortly after, the students who had been using the Danger Room were banned from the basement entirely, but given no explanation. 

"Things are getting fucked up," Ray said grimly, finding Deitra among the gardens as usual. She looked up, caught by surprise, but shrugged and closed her eyes once more.

"I guess."

"I mean, where the hell did Cyclops go?" he pressed, taking a seat on the grass near her. "And the hospital's been damaged a shitload."

"How do you know that?" she asked, not even looking towards him. Over the months, Deitra had met the Professor's expectations of her strength, and with her newfound strength had come an unexpected maturity and serenity. The mutant was at peace with herself for the first time in a long time, and the only thing that rattled her was talk of the Cure.

"Piotr told me."

"Hm."

"Well, you can 'hm' all you want, but I – what the _hell_?" Ray shouted, jumping to his feet when the Blackbird suddenly shot up from the basketball court and flew over their heads. Deitra looked up as well, her eyes wide.

"I wonder what's going on," she said thoughtfully, a frown appearing. "And who was in the jet?"

"Let's go see," he suggested, dragging her to her feet and heading towards the mansion. Ray and Deitra had grown close during their time, finding mutual companionship among a bunch of strangers, but their relationship was entirely platonic, Ray interested in Amara while Deitra was absorbed with her plants.

"I can walk!" she protested, pulling free and beginning to jog when Bobby waved at them from a second-story window.

"Yeah, well, I wanna know what the hell's happening," Ray informed her, and promptly grabbed Deitra and shot towards the window before she could protest. They landed in the room and saw Bobby, Piotr, Kitty, and Rogue there as well – the entire force of the X-Men, excepting Ororo, the Professor, and Logan.

"What'd you want?" Deitra asked, taking a seat on the couch with Piotr and Kitty.

"The Professor took Ororo and Logan and went after someone," Bobby told them. Deitra cocked an eyebrow suspiciously, and crossed her arms.

"And how did you find that out?"

"Well, no wall is completely safe from me," Kitty grinned sheepishly, and then looked defensive. "Hey, we're a team! And something bad is happening to us."

"Because of the Cure," Bobby said firmly, and they all had to nod in agreement.

"What happened in the hospital?" Ray pressed, leaning against the window.

"Something attacked Logan and escaped," Piotr told them, looking grim. "I don't know what, but Ororo had me come in to help clean up."

"So, what're we all here for?" Rogue asked dryly. "I mean, what's the point?"

"Well, with the adults gone, what're we gonna do?" Kitty pointed out.

"Who knows if they'll come back," Bobby added, and Rogue punched his arm.

"Hey! That's not funny!"

"I'm not joking," he continued, just as seriously. "We're the X-Men, and we have responsibilities. Mr. McCoy is busy with the government, and the others are gone."

"I'm not taking charge of the mansion," Deitra interrupted. "We're still students, aren't we? What are we supposed to do?"

"Everyone's talking about that cure," Ray said, more seriously than he usual was. "What if the students decide they're better off without powers?"

"No way," Bobby argued, shaking his head, but Deitra shrugged.

"Hey, not everyone has it easy," she pointed out, and noticed Rogue had slipped away to avoid the conversation. "It's their choice."

"But we have to stick together!" Kitty protested, looking upset, but Deitra stuck to her guns.

"Why are we the X-Men?" she asked calmly. "Why not any of the other students? There are others more powerful for sure, and more who could be if trained. It's because we can work together – our powers fit each other, and we're mature enough to understand what's going on. But the others…are just kids. And they don't want to be different. We all know how that feels."

"Good point," Ray agreed, breaking the silence that followed her speech. "But we're back to what Bobby started – what do we do?"

"We're the X-Men – we stick together," Piotr said firmly, surprising the others with his tone. They glanced around at each other, and Kitty hesitantly stuck her hand out.

"Together, yep."

"All right," Ray shrugged, joining Bobby and Kitty's hands. Deitra and Piotr followed, and they remained still for a long moment, realizing they had done something they could never return to and take back if things got tough.

* * *

"Whoa!" a young mutant called Jamie cheered, as a group gathered around the evening news to see a young man with white wings jump from a building. 

"What?" Deitra asked, having been stuck with quite a few younger charges, despite her protests that she didn't want to be in charge at all. However, Deitra got along with many of the younger students, and she and Piotr were working together to keep an eye on them.

"Lookatthis!" another boy, Pietro, urged, his super-human speed affecting his speech as usual.

"Hm," the hotocultist murmured, seeing the replay. "I wonder what happened."

"Do you think he'll come here?" a girl asked excitedly, but Deitra grinned at them, shoving a few over so she could sit down.

"Not if he's heard of you guys," she replied teasingly, earning groans and pokes from several students. "I thought we were going to watch a movie," she prodded, glancing over her shoulder when Piotr appeared, several students under his arm. "What gives?" she asked, but was met with a grin.

"Caught them trying to sneak into the basement," he replied, putting the kids down on the ground. "Come on guys, we have a lot to do," he added. "Would you rather be doing homework?" That suggestion brought peace and quiet almost instantly, and one of the students put a DVD into the player while another dimmed the lights.

"Thank you," Deitra whispered, and he grinned.

"No problem."

"Where's Kitty?" she asked, remembering the girl and Piotr were supposed to be going out on a date of some kind.

"Busy with Bobby," he returned evenly, and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Want some popcorn?" she offered sheepishly, and jumped when the students turned on their babysitters with a shared "_QUIET!"_ and glares. "Eep," she whispered jokingly, making room for the Russian on the couch.

* * *

She was unable to believe the powerful mutant called Charles Xavier, the Professor to so many students, was actually gone. Looking out her window despondently, she had a full view of the memorial service that she had been unable to attend. Deitra felt she had done her part for the Professor by respecting his wishes and training, and had helped Ororo by ensuring the blooming of every single bud in the garden, as well as some that didn't know they existed until Deitra coaxed a flower out of them. 

Closing her eyes, she sighed and rested her head on the windowsill, wondering what was going to happen to them now. Looking down on the many students in the section of the garden that had been designated as the memorial spot, she saw many others that hadn't gone, opting instead to hide in their rooms as she was.

Deitra felt the pangs of loss once again, having lost both her grandfather and uncle to cancer before her fifteenth birthday, and winced at the self-reproaching thought that while she was feeling sorry for herself, there were others that had known the Professor a much longer time, and much better, and were doing their best to help others. Getting to her feet guiltily, she shook her hair out of her eyes and strode to the door, pausing as her hand rested on the knob. Wearing all black, as most were, she took a deep breath and glanced back, narrowing her eyes as she concentrated on the numerous wreaths that surrounded the engraven stone. Smiling a little when she saw them brighten and bloom even more, she nodded and stepped into the hallway.

"Too quiet," she whispered, before wondering whether it was her place to step up or not. Looking down either end, she saw it was completely empty and wondered what she could possibly do. Rubbing her forehead with her palm, Deitra wished she knew whether there were even boundaries to be crossed at this time regarding responsibility, and shook her head.

Wondering where Ray had gone, she headed to the entertainment room, where she had heard several students enter early in the morning. Knocking softly and not getting a response, she poked her head in and saw a boy about ten years old sitting on the floor on a corner, looking as if he was trying to hide.

"Hey," she said softly, closing the door behind her and crouching down a few feet away from him. She thought she recognized him as Franklin Richards, a boy whose vast psychic powers granted him, among other things, the ability to forsee the most probable future path, and was usually correct in his guesses. Horrified that the child might have known what was going to happen and frightened, Deitra leaned forward and gathered him to her, holding him tightly. They remained huddled together in the corner of the room, shaking.

Broken sobs escaped from him, and she caught fragmented apologies, guilty words, and the phrase she knew everyone was thinking – "What's going to happen to us?"

"Shh…" she murmured, feeling her own eyes tearing up at the empty void that seemed to loom before them. "It's all right."

* * *

Yeah, sappy ending, shoot me. I was NOT going to go through all freakin' winter, since my story is really gonna happen after the movie events. I tried to tie in some stuff with them - and no, Deitra and Ray are not part of the team officially. They train, but I'm not going to insert them in all the stuff. Franklin Richards, by the way, is a real mutant - the son of the Fantastic Four couple. All mutants in this story will be pre-existing, except for my OC, of course. 

Please review, people!


	4. Chapter 4

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Thank you everyone who's read and reviewed! This story has 287 hits, and only 5 reviews...I can't figure that out. Ah well. Anyway, I'm about ready to roll into the fighting, so bear with me. Again, scenes from their perspective. Next chapter we'll go to Alcatraz. Also, I remembered they have different-color lines on their uniforms, so I put in Ray and Deitra's colors in chapter three. Blue-white for him, green for her, if you don't want to go back and check.

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"We're in deep shit," Ray announced the next day, leaning against a hallway wall as Deitra neared him.

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously, pausing to narrow her eyes at him. She hadn't gotten much sleep, spending her time comforting, or trying to comfort, the children that needed it most. Just out of the shower, she had blown her hair dry and it hung loose, while her eyes were red-rimmed and face pale.

"They're all in there," he told her, jabbing a thumb at a room.

"Who's they?" she pressed testily, and he quickly explained, knowing her fuse was short when the potted plant behind her began to grow thorns.

"Ororo, McCoy, Bobby, Logan…they," the mutant shrugged helplessly. "I think they're deciding to shut the school down."

"Bastards," she muttered, rubbing her face tiredly. "What about all of us that don't have anywhere to go?"

"I thought you had your mom," he reminded her, but she shrugged.

"She moved – I got a note telling me that she didn't want anything more to do with a mutant," Deitra said.

"Ow."

"Eh," she sighed, slumping against the opposite and sliding down to her bottom. "I'm beat."

"Want a charge?" he offered, but she laughed hollowly.

"And when it wears off, I'll crash. No thanks," she said, shaking her head. He shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. Despite Ray's attempt at looking nonchalant, worry was evident on his face.

"If all the other X-Men are there, how come we aren't?" he asked suddenly, and Deitra looked up sharply – apparently, she had dozed off.

"Dunno. Probably because it's not our place," she said evenly. "We're still new."

"Yeah, right," he snorted. "At least Piotr's not there either – he's busy with the kids too. I'd like to see them try to send me home, though."

"Me too," she admitted with a small giggle, broken by a yawn.

"Deitra!" a voice called her, and she looked up to see the blonde boy heading her way, his blue eyes clear and calm.

"C'mere, kid," she said, gesturing to her lap. Franklin eagerly took the offer and leaned against her companionably, while she sighed and propped her chin on his head. The little boy had attached himself to her the night before, and she was wondering if she was going to end up being a surrogate mother of some sort.

"Cute," Ray snorted, and yelped when a piece of wood fond itself embedded in his shoulder. "Ow! How'd you do that?" he demanded, and Deitra looked at the wood paneling in surprise.

"I…don't know," she said slowly. "I've only been able to control live plants, not…"

"Processed trees," the young man grumbled, wincing when another piece dug into his arm. "All right, all right, I give!" he protested, rubbing his wounds in aggravation. "I'm gonna go get a band-aid," he informed her, and she nodded.

"Sorry," she called, and he waved his hand in acknowledgement, already heading down another hall.

"Why are you sitting here?" Franklin asked, and she shrugged, trying for a small smile and only yawning again.

"Tired," Deitra supplied, and then looked down at him. "What're you doing here anyway, kid?"

"We wanted to see if you would watch a movie with us," he explained, and she nodded in understanding. The students, the younger ones especially, had no idea how to behave in the wake of the Professor's death and the mourning, and most had gone into seclusion somewhere like before, watching movies, reading books, or amusing themselves with their powers.

"Which one?"

"Dunno."

"All right – go pick one out and I'll be there in a minute," Deitra ordered, pulling absently at the silver hoops she wore. Franklin got up from her lap and was about to take a step away when a blonde young man, tall and wearing a brownish coat, jeans, and a white button-down shirt and carrying a suitcase approached them, looking nervous. Deitra remained on the floor, looking up, while Franklin stood beside her as he passed them, watching him curiously.

He headed towards the room the X-Men were in, and Deitra patted Franklin on the shoulder to prod him into action.

"Go on, movie, remember?" she whispered in his ear, and he took off in anticipation of the movie. She remained seated, craning to hear what the stranger said.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I know this is a bad time," he began, his back to her. "But I was told that this was a safe place for mutants." 

"It was, son," McCoy's voice said grimly, but Ororo's voice suddenly reached Deitra's ears.

"And it still is. We'll find you a room," she said firmly, before turning to the others in the room. Deitra missed the rest of the conversation, having almost passed out in relief.

"_They're not closing the school,"_ she told herself, the words echoing in her head like a hymn from heaven. Lost in thought, she looked up in surprise when someone tapped her shoulder and saw Ororo smiling down at her, the stranger behind her.

"Deitra, could you show Warren to a spare bed for now?" she asked, giving the girl a hand and pulling her to her feet.

"I was going to –" Deitra began, and then stopped at the seeing the young man's apprehensive gaze. "Sure," she nodded, and glanced up at him. She guessed he was about six feet in height, and managed a smile as Ororo returned to business with McCoy. "I'm Deitra Burton," she introduced herself, offering her hand, and he took it shyly.

"Warren Worthington."

Deitra's grip tightened perceptibly on his hand in surprise, and she released her grip in embarrassment.

"You're the one with wings," she realized, and performed a perfect about-face when he paused. "Well, I'm sure we can find a room later, but you can put your stuff in the dorm for now," she began, leading him to the wing. She felt very odd, when she herself had walked this same hall as a stranger only months before, and wished she wasn't so tired.

"That's fine," he told her, keeping close behind her, and she nodded.

"Cool. And I suppose I'll thank you in lieu of all the kids here," she added, glancing over her shoulder. He looked perplexed, and she shot a grin his way before facing forward again. "They were going to shut down the school," she told him softly. "And when you came, Ororo must have realized how much it's needed. So, thanks."

Warren remained silent, and Deitra could have slapped herself.

"_Way to embarrass the shit out of him, and put the pressure on,"_ she reprimanded herself, and then sighed out-loud when she realized she had swore. "Ray's a bad influence," she grumbled, and opened the door to one of the men's dorm rooms.

"Just pick a bunk," she ordered, watching as he strode awkwardly into the room, looking around as if he expected someone to attack him from the shadows. "Wartime is three to six in the afternoon on weekdays, and all weekend long. Be on your guard," Deitra informed him solemnly, and laughed when he turned to her, alarmed. "I'm kidding – sort of. Gotta watch out for some of the kids. Buncha pranksters in the house."

"Sounds…interesting," Warren managed, having placed his suitcase on a bed. "Um…"

"Well, I promised the kids I'd go watch a movie with them," Deitra said, seeing the young man grow only more nervous. "You can come if you want. But I warn you, I don't know which movie."

"That sounds all right," he agreed with a relieved smile.

"All right, follow me some more," she laughed, heading back down the hall. It didn't take them long to reach the room where the kids had gathered, and found Piotr already claiming a spot on the couch for himself, moving kids out of his way. "This is Warren – Warren, Piotr," she introduced the two, and Piotr reluctantly got up to shake Warren's hand, only to find the kids had stolen his spot.

"Come on!" he protested.

"Just find a seat where you can," Deitra told Warren, shrugging a bit. "It's always like this. Do like Piotr, if you feel like it," she added, gesturing to the mutant as he heaved three kids up at once, sat down, and was promptly crawled on top of.

"That's all right," Warren assured her quickly, finding a spot on the floor. Deitra made a place for herself on the couch as well, with Piotr's help, and groaned when the movie began to play.

"Oh no, not this…" she sighed, as the One Ring flashed on the menu of the DVD.

"Marathon time!" several kids cried, happy enough to torment their babysitters by watching the trilogy for the sixth time.

* * *

As the credits began to roll for the first movie, Warren glanced at the other two young adults and noticed in surprise that Deitra's head was tipped back slightly, her eyes closed and breathing steady. A blonde boy – the same one he had seen with her earlier – was on her lap, and several other kids crowded her and Piotr eagerly while their comrades-in-arms switched DVDs. 

"What's the ma – oh," Piotr said, seeing Warren's gaze and noticing Deitra. "She must be tired," he added quietly, folding a blanket on top of her. "She should stay asleep – as long as no one bothers her too much," he whispered pointedly, staring at the kids on the couch, who promptly whispered indignant protests before settling down as the menu screen flashed onto the television.

Warren took another glance at the young woman on the couch, wondering what kind of person she was and what her power was. For that matter, he was curious about most of the other students in the room, and had a hard time thinking of himself as one of them now. Feeling his wings itch against his skin, he shrugged off his shirt and let them fold a little wider behind him, earning stares from several of the children. Most however, though curious, weren't as easily impressed and only looked briefly before turning impatiently to Piotr to start the movie.

Shrugging helplessly, the Russian shot a wink Warren's way before setting the remote on the end table and stretching his arms as the movie began, ready for a nap himself. Warren, for his part, had never seen the movies before and rather enjoyed them, especially when several of the kids decided to talk along with the actors in their own dramatic style.

It added something to the scenes, somehow.

* * *

"Wha…huh?" Deitra mumbled, as someone shook her awake. 

"We just finished the third movie," Piotr told her quietly. "Some of the kids are asleep, but most are ready to go longer. I think they want to watch _Bourne Identity_ and _AVP_ next. Want to help get the sleeping ones in bed? And then go to bed – you're beat."

"And leave Warren by himself?" Deitra whispered back, taking a minute to gather her wits. "He'll be terrified – who knows what the kids will do to traumatize him. I'll be fine, so stay here and relax. Keep 'em roped in."

"No problem," the Russian replied with a grin, settling back in as she pushed herself to her feet, Franklin clinging to her. She was thankful he was light as she picked him up, and looked around at the several sleeping mutants. She really didn't want to wake them up, but they certainly couldn't be left sprawled out on the floor all night like that. Sighing, she made her way to the door, deciding to take one kid at a time.

Warren, watching her through tired eyes – he had a long day, after all – got to his feet and stretched, wings outspread for a moment before he tucked them back together. Deitra couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise, and wondered how big his wings were.

"I can help," he offered, bending down and scooping up two kids while managing not to wake them. Deitra showed her appreciation with a nod and smile before turning and tip-toeing out of the room, noticing that everyone else was either out, asleep, or being very quiet – the latter option being unlikely. The pair strode back to the dorms and deposited the three children in their bunks, and Warren grabbed his suitcase and jacket as they left.

"Ah, sorry," she apologized, turning down another hall. "I'm not really sure which rooms are available…this one looks all right," she commented, swinging the door open and looking around. "Is this all right?" she checked, and he nodded.

"Of course," he said, putting his stuff down again.

"Piotr and I are nearby, so you can get us if there's any trouble," she added, before turning to leave. To her surprise, he followed her, and she glanced up at him with a blank look. "I thought you were going to bed," she said, but he shrugged.

"I said I'd help with the kids," he reminded her, and she couldn't help but grin at him before covering a yawn, her eyes watering.

* * *

It took them two more trips, but the sleeping kids were eventually all brought to their beds and securely tucked in, with the rest reverently watching Jason Bourne running from the police after someone else had jumped to his death from a hotel window. Deitra didn't really understand the plot, but was more than happy to fall back onto the couch, almost crushing Thomas Jones in the process. Piotr swiftly rescued him, and she shot him a grateful grin before retrieving her blanket and pulling it up to her chin, snuggling into the cushions with a sigh. 

Only moments later, Franklin shambled sleepily back into the room and crawled onto her lap, falling asleep seconds later.

"Oh, you have an admirer," Piotr whispered, earning a weak jab from her elbow that he hardly felt. "Should I be jealous?"

"Didn't know you…cared so much," Deitra hissed back, interrupting herself with a yawn. Warren grinned at their bantering, sitting on the couch as well, putting the hotocultist in-between the two young men. She was too tired to really care about anything, not even protesting when Franklin, shifting in his sleep, poked his elbow in her ribs, and only yawned again and closed her eyes. Her head tilted slightly moments later, and came to rest on Piotr's shoulder, the rest of her hidden by either blankets or Franklin. Piotr grinned and shifted slightly, having acquired three younger kids in various places – none of which were very comfortable – and Warren almost jumped when a small girl named Heather climbed into his lap with a shy smile. When he grinned back, she giggled and relaxed against him.

Eventually, all the kids had crawled onto some part of the three older mutants, leaving no room for someone to move without prodding someone else in an uncomfortable area. No one really minded, though, since most fell asleep before the _Bourne Identity_ even ended. Piotr, one of the last ones to make it, managed to click the television off before slipping into sleep as well, unable to get up anyway.

* * *

"This isn't good," Deitra murmured, in the back of the room as the students gathered with the teachers to watch the news. Magneto was once again on the television, this time issuing a threat and offers to join him in the same breath. She slipped out of the room moments after it was finished, trying to catch her breath, feeling dizzy. 

"Whoa, you look like you're gonna throw up," Ray commented, resting his hand on her shoulder and guiding her to another living room, where they sat down. "That bothers you that much?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "I don't want to fight – I just want to be left alone," she said quietly, hanging her head. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"That doesn't look like it's an option anymore," he said grimly, shrugging. "And if it comes to a fight –"

"I'm sure the teachers won't tell us," she interrupted swiftly, getting to her feet. "Let's hope everyone can settle this without blood, all right, Ray?" she snapped, and then put her hand to her eyes with a sigh. "I'm sorry…I'm just…"

"Go meditate or whatever it is you do," he suggested, patting her on the back. "You've been away from your flowers too long, hippie. You're getting cranky."

"I guess I have," she admitted, shaking her head. "I just don't want to leave everyone and –"

"Hey, I think we can agree that we'd rather have you calm than bitchy," Ray argued, prodding her in her side with a grin. "Go and do whatever the hell you do," he repeated, pushing her a little towards the door. "We can survive without you for a few hours."

"All right," she agreed reluctantly, but was obviously relieved someone was telling her this. Still shaking her head in self-reproach, she headed out of the room and down the hall, looking forward to her meditations. Stepping out into the hallway a few moments later, Ray scooped up Franklin and swung him over his shoulder with a laugh, heading towards the kitchen.

"Hey, give her a break, kid. Let's get some lunch, and then you can go pester her, all right?"

* * *

Deitra found herself growing calm as she sat in a meditating position among the flowers, in the spot that had been kept aside for her. Taking a deep breath, she grew light-headed and felt like she could leave her body and float among the blossoms for a few delicious moments before she felt someone approaching, and was brought back to reality with a disappointed sigh. 

"He's gone," the person said calmly, and she craned her neck around to see Piotr standing behind her, looking grim.

"Who?" she asked blankly, glancing at the sky. Night was only a few hours away, and she wondered how long she had been meditating.

"Logan. I think he went to find Magneto," Piotr told her, crouching down on the grass with surprising ease. "Trouble's coming."

"You sound like Ray, only not as excited," she muttered, shifting around to get comfortable.

"He and Amara went on a date," the Russian said suddenly, and she grinned, surprising him. "I thought you…"

"Oh, Ray's a piece of work and a friend, but not like that," she assured him, shaking her head with a laugh. "I figured he and Amara would hit it off the night we got here, remember? You had to baby-sit me instead. Wait – if we're out here, who's watching the kids?" she demanded, but he grinned.

"Calm down, they're tormenting Warren for a while. I came out to see how you were feeling."

"I'm fine, I guess," Deitra said, rubbing her head. "Just…I just feel like something bad is going to happen."

"We all do," Piotr agreed. "Guess we just have to hope something happens to change that."

"Unlikely," she sighed.

* * *

I wasn't sure whether Magneto's newscast was the same day Warren arrived, and decided to stretch it to the next day just because. Also, any named mutants are existing ones, of course. Please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Ah, an update! I'm finally finishing up the involvment of the movie, and the next chapter we shall begin anew! Thanks for all the support and comments throughout. I love you guys! Again, all mutants exist.

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

The evening was a tense one, as Ororo and McCoy seemed to be waiting for Logan to return, and the older students did their best to keep out of their teachers' way. The younger mutants were easy enough to distract, and most were asleep hours earlier than the night before. Deitra once again had a bunkmate, and shook her head ruefully as she changed into her pajamas, Franklin already asleep on her bed.

"What am I turning into?" she wondered, glancing at her laptop. She had neglected her studies for almost two weeks, and hoped she would be able to return to them soon, not wanting to fall behind. Running her hands through her hair, she climbed into bed beside Franklin and pulled the covers over them both, sighing deeply as she fell asleep.

* * *

She found herself awake right before dawn, her stomach tied into knots. Groaning, she got to her feet and stretched, but her body felt like it was on pins and needles. Rubbing her head, Deitra glanced back towards the bed, but knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep with her stomach the way it was, and yawned as she pulled her robe on. She paused and turned back to pull the blankets back over Franklin, grinning as he mumbled something in his sleep. Heading to the bathroom, she almost smacked into walls several times, tears forming in her eyes as she continued to yawn. 

Finishing her shower quickly and braiding her hair back, some pieces refusing to stay put, she dressed and headed for the kitchen. There was hardly anyone else up and she did her best to keep quiet, liking the peaceful silence that had fallen over the Institute.

"_It'd be nicer if it wasn't so creepy, though,"_ she thought, sitting down with a bowl of cereal. Something in the air seemed to crackle, and she wondered absently if Ray had done something to the ventilation system again. Deitra took several deep breaths throughout her breakfast, and was startled by several others as they came in.

"Oh, I didn't know anyone else was up," she said, blinking in surprise as Piotr, Bobby, and Kitty came in, followed by Warren.

"Couldn't sleep," Bobby replied, heading towards the refrigerator. Kitty sat down with a yawn and shook her head, grinning.

"Ever get that feeling, you know, like something's going to happen?" she asked no on in particular, and Deitra nodded with the others.

"Like before a battle," Piotr said solemnly, and the hotocultist frowned to herself as Bobby laughed.

"More like before a storm – you know, with the way the light's all weird and stuff?" he added, and Kitty nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, like that."

"How'd you sleep, Warren?" Deitra asked, and he shrugged, making himself a bagel. His wings stuck out of cuts in his shirt, and she thought it looked a lot more comfortable than some harness contraption she had seen him putting away when he came.

"Like crap," Bobby suggested, and the winged young man nodded.

"We're all in sync," Kitty giggled, and Deitra shook her head in amusement.

"None of us are telepathic," she reminded the girl, who shrugged.

"So? Maybe it's 'cause we're mutants," she argued, taking a bagel half from Warren. "Thanks."

"No problem," he mumbled, sitting down at the table and starting his own meal.

"I'm done with food, so I'm going to catch up on some of my reading. I'll leave you telepaths alone," Deitra said teasingly, getting to her feet and depositing her dishes in the sink before retreating from the room. Her stomach still felt like it had shrunk, and she rolled her shoulders uncomfortably as she made her way to the library, welcoming the sight of all the books.

* * *

She glanced up briefly almost an hour later when Warren came in and sat down, peering around before picking up a book and opening it. 

"Where'd everyone go?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"Don't know."

"_Probably training,"_ she thought, returning to her novel with a sigh. Deitra knew she had neglected her own training, but since she didn't see herself fighting any time soon – or at all – she didn't see the need for constant training, something she disliked anyway. Caught up in a particularly-interesting fight scene, she didn't notice when Warren suddenly got to his feet and moved to the doorway, peering out into the hall silently. She heard voices in the back but didn't think anything of them, and only looked up when Warren strode back in the room looking agitated.

"What's the matter?" Deitra pressed, but he only shook his head. "You don't look good," she commented, and the young man glanced at her absently before striding from the room, leaving her looking confused. "Okay…what was that about?" she asked out-loud, and slammed the book shut. Getting to her feet, she left the room, only to see him already gone. Checking several other rooms, she didn't find anyone else either, and the feeling in her stomach suddenly grew very painful.

Breaking into a run, she raced to the entrance of the basement, and paled when she saw it was already open. Running to a window, she stared out in shock as the Blackbird rose into the air and shot into the sky. Sitting down slowly, Deitra jumped up again several minutes later when a winged figure flew in the same direction as the jet, and she almost fainted when she realized it was Warren.

"_It's happening…they're going to fight Magneto,"_ she realized, and hung her head between her knees, breathing deep, to keep from fainting. When she felt strong enough to stand, the young woman made her way to Ray's room and didn't even bother knocking, pushing the door in without a word.

"Hey!" he protested, in the middle of pulling his pants on. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw it was Deitra, and quickly finished buckling his pants when he noticed her expression. "What the hell's the matter?" Ray demanded, staring at her.

"They've gone," she said blankly, and he blinked.

"Gone?"

"The team…and Warren…" she added, trying to understand herself what was happening.

"Wait. You're telling me they went to fight and _left_ us?" he realized, and she nodded. "Oh, hell no!"

"Ray, wait!" she protested, grabbing his arm as he went to move past her, a shirt in his hand. "You can't go!"

"Why not?" he demanded. "They'll be outnumbered! They need help!"

"But…we can't," Deitra stammered. "They didn't…we aren't…"

"I haven't busted my ass learning teamwork and getting stronger so I could sit out on this one," he informed her. "I'll bet they're going to Alcatraz, where that kid is."

"Ray!" Deitra yelled, but he had already run from the room, pulling his shirt over his head as he went. Closing her eyes as she tried to pull herself together, she slowly sank to the floor and rested her forehead on the woodwork, feeling as if everything she had finally managed to achieve was slipping away. A family, a peaceful life, freedom from fighting…it was all slipping away so quickly, she didn't even have time to pick up the pieces.

She had no idea how long she remained like that, and jumped when someone broke the silence.

"Deitra?"

"Amara!" the hotocultist cried, shooting up and embracing the young woman. "You're still here! Of course you are," she realized, releasing the confused mutant and shaking her head. "What time is it?"

"Uh…almost nine," Amara said, giving Deitra a strange look. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I can't explain, but I have to go," Deitra said quickly. "You and the others have to make sure nothing happens here."

"Does it have to do with Magneto?" the other girl asked, and Deitra nodded. Amara was silent for a moment, and then clapped Deitra on the back. "Go for it. We'll cheer you on here."

"I know," she said quietly, and ran from the room.

* * *

Deitra's breath caught in her throat as she tugged on her suit, and strode back into the hall before she could change her mind. Wanting to be battle-ready, she was glad her hair was already pulled back and decided her hoops wouldn't affect anything. She went from the basement straight into the garage, her mind moving quickly through different ideas as it had when she had fled her home. Glancing around, she grinned when she saw a motorcycle by itself, and grabbed a set of keys out of a locker nearby. Straddling the seat a little awkwardly, she didn't take the time to second-guess herself, despite the fact that she had never driven a motorcycle before, and started the engine. 

It came to life with a roar, and Deitra felt the adrenaline rushing in her ears. Inspecting the dash critically, she silently thanked Piotr for teaching her about the machines and what they were capable of, and entered a code she hoped would work. She let out a sigh of relief when the door to the outside slid open, and she adjusted herself one last time before taking off, using the GPS she knew so well to locate the Blackbird and track them that way.

* * *

She had found a pair of goggles in a compartment, and put them on before she had even left the Institute grounds, pushing the bike to its limits. Deitra wasn't sure how fast she was going, scared to look at the speedometer, but hoped it would be enough to make it across the country in a day. Finding that unlikely, she ignored the logical part of her mind and only went faster, intent on getting there in time to help somehow. 

Lying practically flat on top of the motorcycle, Deitra eventually realized she was going so fast she wasn't registering on any police scanners, explaining why there were no flashing lights behind her. Checking her GPS, she sighed in relief when she saw the Blackbird still within range, meaning she had to be going at a good clip. Rolling her shoulders back for a moment, Deitra narrowed her eyes and hit the accelerator even harder, hoping it wouldn't break down and leave her stranded.

* * *

It was dark by the time she reached San Francisco, and she drove into the boat docks when she saw the bridge had been demolished. Pulling the goggles off, she squinted for a better view of the island, and saw that a battle was already in full swing. 

"Damn," she muttered, getting off the motorcycle and striding to the very end of the pier. "How am I going to get there?" she complained, looking around. She assumed Ray had flown there, and wished – not for the first time – that she had the power of flight as well. Closing her eyes in concentration, she frowned as she tried to sense plants anywhere nearby. Deitra's eyes shot open moments later when she heard something in the water, and stared in amazement as the kelp growing at the bottom of the river rose to the surface, creating a bridge of sorts for her to cross.

Thankful her powers had advanced – still not realizing how powerful she was – Deitra took a breath and jumped, landing lightly on the kelp. Not bothering to make sure it would stay, she sprinted towards the island, seeing flashes of light in the air and fire swirling around.

She was slightly out of breath when she climbed up the shore to the battle scene, and ducked as a piece of debris came flying over her head.

"Okay, that wasn't pleasant," she muttered, and glanced up when she saw Colossus being attacked by several mutants at once. Narrowing her eyes in anger, she missed the look of shock on his face when the mutants were suddenly not there, as a vine tossed them into the water in seconds.

Electricity crackled past Deitra as Ray shot by, apparently enjoying his fight, and he paid no attention to her as she jogged closer, trying to see what she could do. Vines sprouted out of the ground around her, twitching high in the air as they waited for her command. With a gesture of her arm, they sent several enemies flying into the cement, while others shielded her from an energy blast. Each X-Man was involved in their own battle, and she briefly realized she didn't see Angel when he suddenly flew down, grabbing someone and flying away again.

"Oh, you want someone to play with you, do you?" a voice asked mockingly, and she whirled around to see a man in red and silver armor advancing towards her. "Name's Avalanche," he introduced himself, before sending shockwaves toward her. Caught off-guard, Deitra jumped into the air in the nick of time, supported by a vine, but others were damaged by the ground's movements.

She didn't reply, not wanting to break her concentration, and instead shot a thick blast of thorns towards him. To her dismay, he created another shockwave to lift the ground in front of him and block it, and her attack lodged itself in the cement. Frowning, her hands danced in the air, and Avalanche watched in surprise as the water rose up behind her, a thick green mess. It took him a moment to realize it wasn't water that was moving, but the algae in the water. He took a step back as it formed together and swept towards him, and was knocked off his feet when the blast hit him.

Deitra brushed pieces of her hair out of her eyes, catching her breath. She had never known her powers extended that far, much less used them in such a concentrated effort before, and felt her chest tightening. She was aware she had only one or two powerful blows left before she would have to retreat, but wasn't about to back down when she had come to help.

"Interesting attack, girlie," he informed her, getting stiffly to his feet and wiping the goo off his face. "But you're tired – that wasn't nearly as bad as I thought."

She groaned and braced herself for another attack, as the man steadied himself and squared his arms. Deitra thought she had seen the extent of the man's attack, and her eyes widened in horror as the ground lifted up towards her like a wave, the vibrations knocking her off her feet. Scrambling backwards, she closed her eyes and concentrated, and sighed in relief as she felt a vine drag her back as the cement pounded together inches from where she had been. Pushing herself to her feet, Deitra went to attack – and then realized that the vibrations were only growing stronger, and Avalanche was preparing yet another blow. Outstretching her arms to stay balanced, she dimly wished she had trained more before another wave hit. Cement pieces smacked into her body as she was knocked into the air, unable to do anything to protect herself.

Deitra felt herself falling and hoped she'd either die quickly or get knocked unconscious by the blow when she felt something pulling her. She did her best to say something, but her jaw felt odd and her body was going numb.

"_I wanted…help…"_ she thought regretfully, before slipping into darkness.

* * *

Amara, along with Sam and Xi'an Coy Mahn, waited anxiously for the X-Men to return, hoping nothing serious would happen to any of them. The news reports showed images of various fights, but was quickly turned off by Amara in frustration. It hadn't taken long for them to find the teachers gone as well, and they were at a loss for what to do. Luckily, Xi'an took charge and all that was left for them to do was to wait for the battle to end, and hope for the best. 

"Someone's here," Sam commented, walking with Amara in the halls to ease their nerves. They turned to see Warren stride into the foyer, a cut above his eye and one wing looking tattered, carrying an unconscious Deitra.

"What happened?" Amara demanded, knowing the question was foolish and rushing to them. "Is she…"

"She's alive," Warren said calmly, feeling slightly nauseous at flying that far, that fast.

"Bring her here," Xi'an ordered, appearing from a room and understanding the situation instantly. The group followed her to the basement, where the hospital was, and Warren placed Deitra on a table as directed. "Amara, patch him up while I take care of the girl," the Vietnamese woman continued coolly, and turned to Sam. "You watch for the others."

"What's going on?" Amara asked Warren quietly, taking him to another room for bandaging.

"I don't know," he replied slowly, wiping blood from his eyes. "She was knocked into the air. I caught her, and left before I saw anything else."

Amara remained silent, carefully inspecting his wings, her thoughts in a tangled mess.

* * *

"A broken left leg, several bruised ribs, one broken rib, a fractured right forearm, bumps and bruises galore…not too bad, considering what happened," McCoy told Deitra calmly the next morning, when she regained consciousness. She was in her bed, in her room, and felt like she had been hit by a Mac truck several times over. 

"Not…bad?" she croaked, and then winced at the effort.

"As well with a cracked bottom jaw," he amended. "Nothing several weeks won't heal. If you don't go and try to run around for a while, however."

"She's awake?" a voice demanded from outside the room, and Deitra resisted a yelp of pain when Franklin rushed into the room and jumped into her lap.

"Now, now, that's not a good idea," McCoy informed him, lifting the boy off of her easily and placing him on the floor.

"What…happened?" Deitra managed. "How…"

"We won," the scientist told her calmly. "In a manner of speaking. The Cure is destroyed. And Warren caught you and flew you back after you were knocked out, if you were wondering how you got here." Seeing her face contort in confusion, he smiled calmly. "You need some more sleep – you can talk later."

Before she could protest, he injected her with some morphine to ease the pain, and she drifted off into sleep in seconds.

* * *

Ah, I was going to end it when she blacked out, but it was kinda short, so you guys got this. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Here's another update from yours truly! Some more action going on later in the chapter, and my brain has finally thought of something called "plot progressiion," thank god. Whew, had fun writing this one. I like making Warren a little more lively than he's usually written as, but he's not OOC, don't worry.

Please review if read. Review are appreciated.

* * *

"Hey, morning," Ray greeted her a week later. He found Deitra engrossed in a book, her breakfast tray on a table beside the bed, and plopped himself on the side of the bed next to her and peered at the title. Seeing it, he shuddered and sat back. "How're you feeling?"

"Eh," she shrugged, closing the book on the bookmark and putting it on her lap. "I'm all groggy from the painkillers."

"At least your jaw healed quick," he offered, and she grinned. "That was a bitch. Actually, _you_ were the bitch, since you couldn't talk."

"Something like that," she agreed with a laugh. "Thanks for putting that so nicely, Ray."

"I do my best," he said mockingly, bowing while sitting. "Anyway, wanted to tell you that Amara and I are going out again tonight."

"It's….seven in the morning, Ray," Deitra realized, narrowing her eyes. "Why so early? What's up?"

"Well…"

"Ray, unless you want me to smack you with this," she began, gesturing to the crutches she used to get around the Institute, "you'll spill the beans."

"Well, Bobby and Kitty are coming with us," he said, and she shook her head. Rogue hadn't returned after leaving for the Cure, at least to the students' knowledge, and it bothered the older students a great deal that something might happen. "So, Amara was wondering if you and Piotr…"

"Nope," she said, shaking her head firmly. "We're not dating. And on crutches? She's insane," Deitra added with a grin. "Tell her I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine. I'm going to watch a movie with the kids tonight and give Ororo a break."

"Again?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah," she nodded. "After all, she's in charge – with all the students, classes, and training sessions, she needs a break, even with the other teachers around."

"Glad you like that shit," Ray shrugged. "They'd drive me fucking bananas."

"And that's why we don't let you teach," Deitra said with a grin. "That mouth of yours."

"It's a carefully-thought out scheme, I assure you," he told her, smirking a bit as usual. Deitra graced him with an eye-roll heavenward and a sigh, nudging him with her left arm, which was uninjured.

"I'll bet it is – go and bother someone else, I want to finish this," she prodded, eyeing her book. "I'm close to finishing it."

"All right, all right, I'm going," he protested, getting to his feet and outspreading his hands. "See? I'm getting up – now I'm out the door – now I'm down the hall…" His teasing died away as he moved farther away, and Deitra shook her head in amusement.

"He's nuts," she mumbled, reaching for her book, having been telling the truth when she said she wanted to finish it. Brown sandals on her feet matched her khaki skirt that reached her calves, with a lime-green T-shirt standing out like a sore thumb against the lush tones of the plants.

* * *

She had almost an hour of peace and quiet before someone knocked softly on the door. It took several more knocks before she heard it, and looked up in surprise. Piotr was louder, and Ray just barged in.

"Can I come in?" a muffled voice asked, and she realized it wasn't Amara or Franklin either.

"Sure," she replied, pushing herself a little more upright on the bed. "Come in!" she said a little louder, when the door remained closed. Her eyes widened when Warren sheepishly stepped in, shutting the door behind him nervously. She hadn't seen him since the battle, and had wondered how he was.

"Sorry to bother you," he began, but she shook her head.

"It's fine – I never got a chance to thank you," Deitra added with a grateful smile. "McCoy said I would've been killed if you hadn't had caught me. So, thanks, Warren," she finished awkwardly, as he gingerly sat on the edge of the bed.

"I was lucky to get back then," he mumbled, keeping his gaze somewhere above her headboard. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Drugged up like crazy, and bored, but other than that, I'm okay," she assured him, and peered at him as his gaze took in her room. After a week of being cooped up in her room, her powers had expressed her frustration in strange ways – her walls were almost completely covered in moss and blooming vines, while flowers and odd-looking plants were everywhere. It looked more like a greenhouse than a bedroom, except that it wasn't so humid inside.

"That's good," he agreed, appearing extremely nervous. He jumped when a daffodil flower grew out from the wall and waved at him, and Deitra couldn't help but laugh at his expression.

"Sorry about that – it was thanking you," she explained with a grin. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I've never seen so many plants," he admitted, turning a little red. "Is this all…"

"Me? Of course," she said, nodding. "Boredom makes my power act out, I guess. I wake up from sleeping and there's more," she added, gesturing around the room. "I hate being stuck here," she groused. "I want to be back outside – it's so nice out."

Warren remained silent for a moment, appearing to be thinking, and Deitra blinked when he suddenly got to his feet, wings folded behind his back through slits in his shirt. "I can take you outside," he offered.

"Huh?" she asked intelligently, not sure what he meant. "I appreciate the offer, but with my busted leg and ribs, I can't really move at all, so –"

"You have a large window," he interrupted her calmly. "I can fly you into the garden, if you want."

Deitra looked at him in surprise, considering the offer for a long moment before smiling widely. "You'd do that?" she asked eagerly. "Really?"

"I said I would," he pointed out, becoming a bit embarrassed at his rash offer. "I mean, if you're all right with it," he added quickly. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

"Offend?" she repeated. "Hardly! I'd love to!" she exclaimed, excitement in her eyes. "I miss it!" The plants seemed to react to her emotions, and Warren eyed one vine nervously as it wrapped itself around the bedpost in what he interpreted to be a threatening manner. Rubbing his throat a bit self-consciously, he looked back at the young woman.

"Are you ready, then?" he asked, deciding he may as well finish what he started. She nodded eagerly, and braced herself as he scooped her up carefully, wings folded behind him to keep from knocking the things on her table over. Her right arm rested on her lap, which was still healing, and her left leg dangled limply, in bandages rather than the bulky cast she had been stuck with for a while. Wrapping her left arm around his neck to hang on, she gasped as he straddled the windowsill carefully before leaning out and over, wings spreading and catching the wind beneath the pair before they hit the ground. Skimming the grass briefly, they rose back up into the air.

Deitra laughed at the sensation of flying, enjoying every bit of it. Warren seemed rather pleased with himself and circled the grounds a few times before gently landing feet-first in the garden like he promised. Folding his wings behind him, he lowered her to the ground, and she clung to him as she wobbled unsteadily on her good foot.

"That was amazing!" she said enthusiastically. "Thank you so much, Warren!"

"Wowthatwassocool!Canyouflymearoundlikethat?" Blue asked, zooming towards them in a white blur. A boy farther back feigned disinterest, but like several other children, were obviously curious and excited about the aerial display above them. Franklin appeared as well and rushed to Deitra, clinging to her arm, and would have toppled her if Warren hadn't grabbed her around the waist to steady her.

"I don't know…" he mumbled, embarrassed and turning red, but the kids crowded around him eagerly. Deitra lowered herself to the grass with the help of a few vines, and watched the scene in obvious amusement.

"Oh, please?" a girl, named Laurie Collins, asked shyly, while another girl called Melody Guthrie peered at his wings inquisitively. Avoiding his pleading gaze teasingly, Deitra busied herself by avoiding further injuries that would have been caused by the enthusiastic group of children, who were all currently trying to hug her at all once.

"Calm!" she ordered mockingly, pointing at them each with a grin. "Sit!" she added, and was a bit surprised when they obeyed. "Wow, who trained you guys?" she asked, and Melodie laughed.

"You guys!"

"Ha-ha," Deitra said lamely, and rolled her eyes towards the heavens. "Awright, you monkeys, don't you have classes?" she hinted, and they shrugged.

"It's Saturday," Franklin reminded her, and she snapped her fingers as if disappointed.

"Oh, damn," she sighed, and then shook her head. "Okay, calm down and stop mauling Warren, 'kay? Thank you. Now," she lowered herself to the ground and propped herself using some plants, "be quiet and let me have some piece and quiet. Go bother Warren again," she said with a grin, almost laughing at his dismayed expression.

"Buh – buh…" He tried to protest, but was hidden by a pile of tackling mutant children, one foot sticking out pitifully.

"Sad," she said teasingly, shaking her head with exaggerated slowness.

* * *

"That was cruel," Warren informed her, out of breath, as the kids ran off for the dinner bell. He collapsed beside her, and received a grin.

"You expect poor me to manage them?" she asked teasingly, and he nodded in mute desperation. "Aw, it's okay, you survived," she joked, patting his shoulder. They had become less restrained with each other during the afternoon, and his mood had lightened considerably.

"No thanks to you, apparently," Piotr remarked, coming up behind them and patting Deitra on the head affectionately. "You really are evil. Ray was right."

"I could've left him totally alone," she reminded them, and they knew she was capable of it through her plants.

"You could've," Warren agreed, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "Thank god you didn't. I would've been killed!" He had a hunted look in his eyes, which made the other two crack up.

"Sorry, but you have the same face we both used to," Piotr informed him, seeing his confusion. "You'll get used to them, it's not as hard as it might seem."

"Oh, yes it is," Warren groaned. He fell onto his back dramatically, and was promptly poked in the side by Deitra. "You're evil," he muttered, and received a poke again before she decided to relent.

"All right," she admitted. "Maybe I am. But it's for your own good." She was surprised at how easily the two of them were talking, considering how restrained he was just a few hours earlier, and reflected on how easily kids could loose someone up.

"Tough love never hurt anyone," Piotr added, taking a seat on the other side of Deitra. "Unfortunately for you."

"Is anyone else hungry?" Deitra interrupted, her stomach reminding her it wanted food.

"Yeah, I actually came out to get you guys for dinner," Piotr remembered, rubbing the back of his head absently. "And you said something about watching a move with the mob, right?"

"Yeah – heaven help me if it's Lord of the Rings again. I'll break the DVD's," she said sternly, and then shook her head. "Maybe. Now, who's gonna help me into the house?" she hinted, as the two young men got to their feet. "Hello?"

"I'll do it," Piotr volunteered, hoisting her up to her feet, and then swinging her up into his arms. Warren noted it was gentler than he would have expected from someone so big, but realized there was more to the mutants at the school than he had first thought. Tucking his wings behind him carefully, he strode alongside them to the building, wondering at his own carelessness.

* * *

"What in heck is this?" Deitra asked helplessly, Franklin sitting carefully on her lap, Peitro and his twin Wanda near her feet, and Piotr next to her as usual. Warren was near their feet as well, and the three older mutants seemed to be magnets for the children to sit on.

"Blade!" someone cheered, and she glanced at Piotr.

"Should we let them watch this?" she mouthed, and he shrugged back, as if saying they were helpless anyway. She spotted two more DVD cases, and realized another trilogy was in the near future.

"I've never seen this," Warren said, and the kids cheered again, a lot louder.

"Enough!" Piotr shouted over the din, quickly starting the menu up as someone else killed the lights. It had become something of a ritual, the crowding and movie watching, and Deitra had to admit she hadn't seen many of the movies the kids chose either.

* * *

"Damn it!" she swore two days later, checking her scores on her tests for classes. "Fuck!" she muttered, slamming her laptop shut in total frustration.

"What is the matter?" Ororo asked, poking her head in briefly after hearing the language. She was surprised it was coming from Deitra, and frowned slightly.

"I failed my classes," the young woman replied miserably. "Too much was going on, and I didn't have time to study."

"It is not a big deal," Ororo reassured her, patting her shoulder comfortingly. "You can take whatever classes you want to at the Institute, or just retake them. I think your time might be better spent, though," she said suddenly, and Deitra looked up in surprise.

"What does that mean?" she asked suspiciously, and Ororo took a seat next to her.

"There is a rogue military squadron that was under William Stryker, which managed to escape the government reformations after the unfortunate incidents concerning Magneto's attack," the white-haired woman told her, skimming quickly over the events including the Professor's death.

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"You will be healed shortly," Ororo continued, appearing to make a visible effort to sound nonchalant. "I wish you to return to the ranks of the X-Men –"

"I never left," Deitra interrupted sharply, but was silenced when Ororo held her hand up.

"Mentally. You need to be prepared to fight others," she informed the young woman. "I want a small team to go to the location I have discovered and find out what they're planning to do to the mutant community...and possibly eliminate any threat they pose."

"Kill them?" the hotocultist asked in shock. Ororo quickly shook her head in denial.

"No!" she said, a bit sharply. "We will adhere to the Professor's ideal of mutant and humankind coexisting. However, if they pose a threat, any resources and technology will need to be destroyed."

"I see…sabotage," Deitra realized, nodding her head slowly. "Who else?" she asked, and Ororo smiled slightly, recognizing Deitra's unspoken consent.

"Piotr is ideal, Kitty's ability to disrupt machines so effectively will be an asset, I believe," she said thoughtfully, crossing one leg over the other carefully.

"What about Ray?" the other asked, but Ororo hesitated.

"His temper is too volatile for such a careful mission," she began, but Deitra shook her head.

"I think we can rely on him," she argued, crossing her arms over her breasts stubbornly. "He's improved, and any of us can work together as a team. We'll need him if they try to attack us – he could disable any electronics instantly."

"Good point," Ororo conceded, and nodded in hesitant consent. "All right. You, Piotr, Ray, and Kitty will go. In two weeks…that should be enough time for you to recover," she said thoughtfully, and Deitra nodded as well.

"We can do it."

* * *

"We can't do it!" Kitty wailed, and Ray glared at her.

"Would you stop whining and act like an X-Man?" he demanded, lounging against the wall of the Danger Room carelessly. They had shut off the training system for the moment, and Deitra had been brought down by Piotr for a meeting between the four. Ororo had briefed them all separately, and their reactions varied.

"But it's too much," Kitty protested, and Piotr shook his head.

"We can do it. We survived Alcatraz," he reminded her calmly, something that calmed the girl for the moment.

"We takin' the Blackbird?" Ray asked eagerly, and Deitra shrugged.

"Since only you can fly, I'm assuming that's how we're getting to wherever we're going," she agreed. "Ororo hasn't told us yet."

"I guess she's waiting until the last minute, in case one of us is tempted to say something," Piotr said thoughtfully, folding his arms across his chest as if daring anyone to disagree with him. No one did, however, and Deitra sighed.

"I don't want another attack on the Institute," Kitty said quietly, and Piotr nodded. Ray and Deitra exchanged glances – they had been told what it was like, but knew it was different than actually being there.

"I just want to get back at those bastards," Ray growled, back stiff.

"We're not supposed to kill anyone," Deitra reminded him, but he only snorted.

"There are things worse than killing them," he said casually, and she only rolled her eyes. It was Ray's way of venting nervousness, and she decided to let the comment go for the time being. It was because of her Ray was there, and she was determined not to do anything.

"Oh, that's a nice attitude," Kitty remarked, rolling her eyes as well.

"Hey, it's better than being a little wimp about a fight," he snapped back, and Piotr stepped between them before it could escalate.

"Calm down," he ordered. "We're supposed to be X-Men and work together, remember? This isn't helping anything." He and Deitra were beginning to have doubts about Kitty being on the team – despite her abilities and experience on Alcatraz, they didn't think she was ready for a mission like this, and worried something would go wrong. Ororo was determined to have her go, though, and no amount of arguing changed that.

"Focus on training and fighting the bad guys," Deitra added tiredly, rubbing her forehead.

"Which is what I'm gonna do, soon as we're done here," Ray replied shortly, regretting his temper but too stubborn to take anything back.

"We're done," Piotr said just as shortly, and moved over to Deitra. "Ready to go back up?"

"Yeah, I've got a class on history to teach," she agreed, bracing herself as he lifted her up. "Don't do anything stupid," she warned the other two. "No need to hurt yourselves here."

"Sure, sure," Ray replied carelessly, but winked apologetically at her. She smiled back, and Piotr nodded as well.

* * *

Please review.


	7. Chapter 7

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

And here is an update! I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do. The fight scene was hard, with no dialogue, but I like challenging myself. Considering I can't write fight scenes anyway. XD

Please review!

* * *

Two weeks passed in relative peace for the mutants preparing for a mission, though some of the other mutants in the Institute noticed their mounting tension. Deitra, having been pressured to take an alternate name in battle, had picked Vaettir, a nature spirit in the Norse religion. It had taken her some time to become used to being called a different name, and it had made her rather cranky. Warren noticed it early, having apparently been apprenticed by Deitra for child rearing, and finally worked up the nerve to ask her about it two days before the team was scheduled to leave.

"What's bothering you?" he asked abruptly, as they walked down the hall to the kitchen. She looked at him in surprise, but quickly assumed a poker face.

"What're you talking about?" she replied, keeping her voice neutral. "I'm fine. A little tired from the kids, but –"

"It's not that," he interrupted, staring down at her, a little irritated that she was lying to him. "It's not just you – I can tell Piotr has something bothering him as well. What's going on?"

Deitra considered brushing the young man off again, but bit her lip to keep her words back. Sighing, she shook her head and stopped as they reached the door.

"I can't tell you," she said shortly, surprising him. "But it's just nervousness – nothing is bothering me, honestly," she continued, flashing him what she hoped was a sincere smile. It was a half-lie – she was nervous, yes, but as time went by, she and Piotr had become even more certain Kitty shouldn't go. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about, and the possible consequences were haunting her.

"All right," Warren agreed, nodding briefly before striding into the kitchen and reaching into the fridge for a soda. Deitra sighed to herself, behind his back, and shook her head.

* * *

"Are you sure you know how to fly this thing?" Kitty asked nervously, squirming in her seat of the Blackbird as Piotr started the engine. Deitra was beside him at the controls she had displayed a startling adeptness at learning, while Ray was near Kitty.

"Kitty, be quiet and buckle up," Deitra snapped, seeing Piotr's jaw clench. The hanger began to open, and the second-in-command followed her own orders as the Blackbird lifted gracefully into the sky, before shooting away with speeds unknown to normal man.

The entire team was tense, and the last thing Deitra wanted was for their pilot to lose his already-strained temper in the middle of the flight. Sitting back slightly, the hotocultist stretched with a yawn and checked radar.

"Nothing?"

"Nope," she confirmed, and Piotr nodded.

"So, can you tell us where we're going yet?" Ray demanded, finger running along the length of his leather collar uncomfortably in an effort to loosen it.

"An island in the Adriatic Sea," Deitra informed them, pulling her hair back in a ponytail like Kitty's. "It's where Ororo said the squadron was. Apparently, they call themselves Stryker's Claws."

"Not very inventive, but I guess we can't ask much, considering we're dealing with a bunch of meatheads like these guys," Ray interrupted, and Deitra sighed.

"These 'meatheads' were smart enough to go missing after the massive investigation fueled by Stryker's death, and they were smart enough to set up a high-tech military-esque base, and remain hidden until now," Piotr said shortly, and Deitra rubbed her temples.

"Not to mention, I'm still not entirely sure this isn't a trap," she added under her breath, and Piotr glanced knowingly at her. He sent her a reassuring wink before returning to staring out the cockpit windshield.

"What, you mean they might know we're coming?" Kitty demanded.

"It's a possibility," Deitra admitted. "But if we all work together and _fight_, we'll make it through. All we have to do is sabotage."

"Sneaky, sneaky, ninja-like," Ray added, and the other three couldn't help cracking grins at his tone. It was accompanied by hand gestures Deitra assumed were supposed to be ninja-like, but came off as vaguely-Egyptian-dance-like instead.

* * *

"We're here," Colossus told them quietly, and Vaettir flipped on the infrared sensors calmly, while the pilot activated the stealth system just as easily. The silence fell like a blanket over the four X-Men as they approached the island.

Nothing appeared unusual about it – it was small, covered in jungle, typical little undiscovered slice-of-paradise. As they drew closer, however, Vaettir narrowed her eyes and stretched out her senses to the plants on the island.

"A quarter of a mile to our right," she ordered, and Colossus followed without hesitation. Upon drawing nearer, the faint outline of a metal door, almost like a cellar door, became visible amongst the foliage. Colossus shifted slightly, and the Blackbird dropped abruptly, hovering within inches of the ground.

"Could've warned us about that," Berzerker grumbled, pulling his gloves on and flexing his fingers anxiously. Vaettir shot him a look as Piotr strode past, and followed the commander out the Blackbird, making the small jump to the ground.

"Come on," Colossus ordered, lifting Shadowcat out with a somber expression. Berzerker was last, and jumped when the Blackbird suddenly disappeared from view. "Stealth unit," the giant explained shortly, before striding towards the entrance.

"Shadowcat, phase inside and disrupt the systems to open it up and bypass the security," Vaettir ordered. She nervously stepped forward, and blinked when Berzerker's hand clamped down on her shoulder. "Berzerker, what –"

"It's wired with electricity. Even a phase might electrocute her," he explained, and grinned. "Let the master handle it," he added, stepping forward. The others watched in fascination as he outstretched his hands and electricity flowed into the mutant.

It was over in less than a minute, and Berzerker shook his head to clear it.

"Whoa, head rush," he managed, and Vaettir rolled her eyes.

"Is it safe?" Colossus demanded. When Berzerker nodded, he gestured to Shadowcat, who phased through the door without a word. The three adults waited outside, and the door slid open in mere moments.

"Good job," Vaettir murmured, examining their surroundings carefully. Narrowing her eyes, she stretched her senses once more to feel the extent of the narrow, dirt tunnel they were in, and pulled back abruptly.

"What?" Berzerker asked.

"I don't know what they have in there, but it's toxic," she told them. "I don't think any of us have natural immunity to airborne toxins – but whatever they have has killed all plant life, and most likely animal life – underground."

"Wait here," Colossus ordered, and strode to the Blackbird. Shadowcat obligingly opened the door again for him, and held it there until he returned, holding mouthpieces in his hands.

"What are those?" Berzerker asked, inspecting the one he was handed.

"Filters. They'll fit in your mouth and over your nose like the underwater breathing devices we have," Colossus told them shortly, and promptly showed them how to fit it. A triangular piece attached over their nose, and a strip of tubing ran down to the mouthpiece, a small rectangular device that fitted like an oversized mouthguard. The entire contraption remained snugly on their faces despite any straps or clamps, and Vaettir decided not to think too hard about it.

"How're we gonna talk with these?" Shadowcat asked, removing the piece with a look of disgust on her face.

"We won't – it's better we don't anyway," Colossus replied. "We use hand signals when communication is necessary. Any doubts, retreat. Let's move." With that, he replaced his own piece and began to stride down the tunnel, metal forming over his skin in anticipation of battle.

Vaettir flashed Berzerker and Shadowcat a distorted smile through her own device, and added a thumbs-up for reassurance as they followed in alpha formation. Ray's hands were silently crackling with electricity, and their stances were those of mutants wading into battle, not sneaking.

* * *

"_That way,"_ Colossus signaled, and Vaettir nodded before slinking in the direction he pointed in. The commander directed the other two in the same way, and took his own route of sabotage. There weren't that many men that they had seen, and it was making the two commanders warier than usual.

Vaettir slunk along the south wall, carved out of rock and dirt, and resisted the urge to try to sense any flora. She wasn't sure if her connection would let the toxin through – she doubted it – but knew it was useless anyway. Keeping her senses alert, thankful for the extra training Ororo had insisted on, she made her way to a cache of computer software, which she assumed were built to hack into weapons systems.

She and Colossus both knew that the possibility of discovery would be almost certain once Berzerker or Shadowcat used their powers to disrupt electrical circuits, especially if this whole area was indeed a trap. Unable to use her powers, Vaettir frowned, and then grinned at seeing something nearby.

Several minutes later found the discs cracked open, gasoline flooding into each and every case, destroying the fragile information drives. Grinning to herself, she whirled around when she heard gunfire, and raced forward. She dived to the ground when an automatic machine gun went off in her direction, and winced when she felt shrapnel overhead. Rolling to the side, she blinked when a man went flying over her head. Sliding upright, she kicked the person firmly in the gut before he had a chance to recover, and rushed forward.

Kitty phased through several men, running from one chasing her, and causing the hunter to run right into his comrades. Berzerker knocked several out – as well as quite a lot of equipment – by firing electrical bolts in rapid succession. Vaettir slid and knocked a man off of his feet, judo-chopping in his jugular. Nodding in satisfaction, she gasped when she was picked up bodily, and realized it was Colossus.

"_Trap."_

"_How many?"_

"_Unknown."_

"_Lure outside."_

"_Can do."_

Signaling finished, the giant tossed her away. Landing lightly on her feet, Vaettir headed Berzerker's way, signaling as she went. Getting his attention and relaying the message, she took off down the tunnel. Wishing she had her powers, and looking forward to being outside, Vaettir froze in her tracks when she realized she wasn't able to get outside.

Turning tail, she ran smack into Berzerker, who realized the problem immediately. Several men held Kitty hostage, who in her panic at having a gun in her neck, didn't think to just phase.

They paused briefly, before Colossus strode towards and past them. When the shooting began, the bullets only bounced off of him. Berzerker glared their way, and a few well-placed shots disabled their guns. Their hands burned, the men yelped in pain, releasing Kitty in the process.

Vaettir signaled for her to go outside and hold the door, while Colossus was busy knocking heads together. She and Berzerker ran past and were almost through the door when they were forced to skid to yet another stop – the doors were sealed shut. Unable to swear vocally, Berzerker settled for jumping up and down in frustration, and Vaettir turned back to Colossus.

"_They've got a weapon."_

"_Bomb?"_

"_I think so."_ His signaling said all they needed to know – if they didn't get out, they were going to die. _"Can you electrocute it open?"_ This was at Berzerker, who shook his head.

"_Shadowcat fried all circuits – anything I do won't work."_

"_Break it down?"_

"_I don't know."_ With this, Colossus rammed the door so hard dirt drifted down on them. The other two looked nervously up, not wanting the tunnel to collapse on them, and Berzerker pulled Vaettir to the side when a blast went off.

* * *

The next thing she knew, she was waking up with her hands in steel clamps behind her back, and her legs in clamps as well, underneath her. Looking groggily around, she saw Colossus next to her, while Berzerker and Shadowcat opposite them.

"_Damn it…"_ she swore, and realized their mouthpieces had been taken away. Reaching out, she was relieved to find plant life close by, and realized they must have been taken somewhere else. She recognized the flora, and knew they were still on the island, at least.

"You awake?" she whispered, nudging Colossus.

"Yeah…almost," he groaned. "What happened?"

"Bomb exploded," Berzerker said shortly, unhappily crackling. "We survived, but they got us – even you, ironman. And Shadowcat, who took off," he added, a glare sent the girl's way. Vaettir was none-too-impressed by Shadowcat's actions, and it was easy enough to tell neither was their commander.

"What did you think you were doing?" he demanded quietly, trying to listen for any approaching footsteps. "You abandoned us in the middle of an enemy base!"

"I'm – I'm sorry," she whimpered, her eyes red from crying. They found it hard to spare any sympathy for her, however – they had enough problems without wasting energy.

"Are your powers back?" Colossus asked her, and she nodded slightly.

"Yeah, let me just…" She paused as she concentrated, and strained a bit as she managed to pull the clamps off her hands. Stretching, she felt the ones on her legs, and found a button to release embedded in the steel. They sprung loose, and she turned to Colossus. He and Berzerker were shortly freed, and as Vaettir released Shadowcat she leaned in close.

"If you do anything other than what we say, I will leave you here. Understand?" she whispered softly in the girl's ear. Shadowcat's eyes widened in shock, and she nodded mutely. "Good," Vaettir agreed, straightening and exchanging a glance with Colossus.

"We're still on the same island – I woke up as they were dragging us around," Berzerker told them, sounding disgruntled.

"Then my senses were right. Now what?" Vaettir mused, crossing her arms defensively.

"We bash a hole through this place, wrap up loose ends, and get the hell out of here," Colossus said grimly. "Playtime's over. Our cover's blown, might as well blow everything else."

"Oh boy!" Berzerker cheered, rubbing his gloved hands together in anticipation. Vaettir gave him a look, and he paused long enough to admire the brute force Colossus possessed, when their own man of steel walked right through the door, and bullets soon began to fly.

"Go!" Vaettir ordered, relishing in the return of her powers. She wrapped vines around several unlucky men, and winced when Berzerker grabbed hold of them. Using the vines as a conduit, he shot electricity through them, frying whoever was touching the 'vines of voltage'.

"You all right?" he checked, and she nodded. "All right, 'cause your hair looks like a poof-ball," he informed her. Reaching around, she winced when she felt her crackling hair, before shrugging.

"Oh well," she sighed, whirling around to land a high kick in one of the soldier's ribcage. "Who are you?" she demanded, her boot resting heavily on his throat. She was met with a glare, and she shrugged.

"Leave them to me – find a way out of here," Colossus ordered, striding towards her. She nodded and rushed off, using her powers to find the roots of plants. The shallower the dirt was, the closer they were to the surface, and Vaettir navigated the maze of rooms by sense alone before finding the door.

"Here!" she shouted, wedging vines in the cracks around the door before causing a growth explosion in the plants, forcing the door out of it's space. She breathed in the fresh air with relief, and turned to see her teammates running towards her.

"How'd we –"

"Not a problem," Colossus told her, and she nodded her understanding. Not worried about being followed any further, she began to stride up the path when she realized Berzerker wasn't there.

"What the hell?" she demanded, seeing him still at the complex's doorframe.

"Just a second," he called, impatiently waving her off. She rested her hands on her hips expectantly, and jumped into the air when an explosion rocked the ground beneath her feet. Before she had a chance to recover, Berzerker was already running past.

"Let's go!" Colossus shouted, revving the Blackbird's engines. The two remaining X-Men boarded with well-placed jumps, and Vaettir glanced out the window to see a chain reaction rock the island, sending small mushroom clouds clouding the sky.

"What the _hell _did you do?" she demanded, and the electricity-shooting punk only grinned.

"Got rid of the evidence."

* * *

"You did _what_?" Ororo demanded, her voice shriller than usual. The four had just stepped from the Blackbird when their teacher met them, an angry expression on her face. They winced, but Piotr stepped forward.

"We need to talk," he said shortly. Taking her by surprise, and exploiting his full advantage, the giant took Ororo by the arm and practically dragged her into an adjacent room. They winced when the door slammed, and Ray and Deitra exchanged glances.

"I'm taking a shower," Deitra told the other two, running her hands through her hair in dismay. "With lots of conditioner."

"I should take one too," Kitty agreed, following the young woman to the lockers. Ray debated on following, but decided he didn't want to be in any more pain, and stretched.

"Guess I get to wait to clean up," he grumbled, before remembered there were separate shower rooms. Grinning, he took off with maniacal glee, remembering just in time to turn off the electricity before touching the metal door.


	8. Chapter 8

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

And here's another chapter from yours truly! Hope you enjoy the twists, and there'll be action in the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

"I don't want to talk about it," Deitra said flatly the next afternoon. Holed up in the library, she didn't even look up from her book as Warren entered. His wings were at the edge of her sight, and she just sensed him – plants were everywhere, and they were rather talkative if she was nice.

"Don't worry. I wasn't going to ask how it went," he said calmly, taking a seat nearby and picking up a magazine. "Or why Kitty's sulking. Or why Ororo's so pissed. Or why you and Piotr are acting like someone died. Or –"

"I get it," she said through a set jaw, glancing up at him for a moment. "It went. Not according to plan. Lost a rank of the X-Men, but it's no loss," she muttered, returning to the book.

"It'd explain why Bobby's all pissed," Warren commented, and she shrugged.

"Not my fault."

"I didn't say it was."

Several minutes of silence passed, and Deitra shifted uncomfortably. The younger kids had been taken on a field trip for the day, leaving the mansion relatively peaceful. While she appreciated the peace and quiet, it was also disturbing.

"Was there something else?" she asked, looking back to the young man. He suddenly looked nervous, and she waited as he squirmed.

"Well, I, uh…"

"Deitra, since we're finally free, feel like hitting the Panic?" Piotr asked, popping his head in and referring to a club downtown. It was noisy and annoying to her at night, but during the day it was a calm restaurant and bar scene.

"Hm? Sure, why not," she agreed, pushing her book aside and getting to her feet. "Let me change first. Hey, wanna come with us?" she asked, turning to Warren. He was red in the face, and stammered for a moment before nodding meekly.

"Sure."

"Cool. Meet me in the garage. You drive," she added to Piotr, striding down the hall to her room. The giant eyed the other young man warily before grinning.

"Sorry for interrupting," he said suddenly, and Warren started.

"Huh?"

"Oh, c'mon – Deitra's stupid like that, but I'm not," Piotr said, reclining against the doorframe, his muscled figure only more obvious with the snug black T-shirt and belted jeans he wore. "You like her."

"Of course – so do you!" he added hastily, and the other rolled his eyes.

"Give me a break."

"I'm not – I'm gonna go grab a better shirt," Warren mumbled, beating a hasty retreat. Piotr chuckled and shook his head, heading to the garage without another word.

* * *

Deitra met the two young men in the garage as promised, wearing a surprisingly-revealing crimson shirt, figure-hugging dark jeans, and heeled boots. She threw a light black coat on, since the weather was cool, and her hair was loose around her face.

"What?" she asked, as Warren stammered something and turned red. Tapping her foot impatiently as Piotr unlocked the black sports car, she slid into the passenger seat. "I call shotgun," she said teasingly, as Warren climbed into the back.

"Was there ever a doubt?" the Russian replied, revving the engine briefly before shooting out of the garage at speeds certainly illegal. Warren adjusted his shirt nervously, wearing jeans, boots, and a forest-green button down shirt. He remained silent during the drive, despite Deitra and Piotr's attempts at conversation.

* * *

"Looks a lot more pleasant during the day," Deitra remarked, as Warren held the door open for her. "Thanks," she added absently, and looked around as they walked in. It wasn't too crowded, some men at the bar and others sitting around.

"Well, let's get a seat and something to drink," Piotr suggested, leading them to a corner table and immediately relaxing, stretching his arms out. Deitra found herself between the two, and shrugged.

"You order for me, I have no clue what I want," she told him, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"All right, you two wait here. I'll go get our stuff," he replied, standing up again and heading toward the bar. Warren shifted uncomfortably, and she glanced at him.

"Your wings bothering you?" she asked, the features folded behind him as usual.

"No, it's just weird being outside with them showing," he admitted, and she grinned.

"Hey, I've got green hair and orange eyes. I stick out too. Don't worry," she assured him, patting his arm teasingly. "You've got two X-Men to watch your back. Speaking of which, how's your training going?"

"Fine, why?" he asked in surprise, and she shrugged.

"No reason, just curious." In fact, she and Piotr had discussed with Ororo the evening before the possibility of Warren joining the X-Men, something she was surprisingly receptive to. Considering they lost one member after the island fiasco.

"Here you go," Piotr said, sliding a beer down to Warren, and one to Deitra. She rolled her eyes as he got into the seat, and swallowed some with a sigh.

"My throat was dry," she said with a shrug, and leaned back. "This is nice – a break from all the shit at the mansion," she continued with a grin. "Those kids are wearing me down."

"We can see all the wrinkles," Piotr began, and winced when she punched him. "Ow!"

"You're a lot more violent than before," Warren commented, and was met with a laugh.

"Don't worry about it until I start tossing people out windows," she suggested, and Warren shook his head in mock dismay before taking another drink from his beer.

* * *

Small talk ensued, and before they knew it their beers were empty. "I'll get them," Warren volunteered, getting to his feet and stretching slightly before striding over to the bar. The two X-Men paid no attention until they heard raised voice, and glanced to the bar to see Warren cornered by two drunken men.

"Shit," Piotr muttered, as they got to their feet. Walking quickly over to the bar, Piotr pulled the two men off Warren with a glare, moving them back. "Back off," he warned them.

"And what're you gonna do about it?" one of the men demanded, staring at Piotr. "You don't look like a mutie, so whadda you care?"

"Yeah, these two do," the other added, glaring at Deitra who returned the look coolly.

"So back off and let us deal with them," the first finished. Piotr crossed his arms, and stared down at them grimly.

"Oh, I don't look like one, do I?" he asked calmly, as metal began to spread over his skin. "How about now?"

"Freak!" one of them spat, and Piotr caught his arm as the man lunged for Deitra.

"You don't want to do that," he warned them, and promptly lifted the man off the ground. Warren spread his wings defensively at the other one, who turned coward with his buddy off the floor.

"Y-you can't use powers against us!" the man protested. "It ain't fair!"

"Ganging up isn't fair either," Deitra said with a sigh, noticing a potted plant nearby with a smile. Its tendrils began to tremble slightly, waiting for her signal. Luckily, she never needed one – the bartender arrived with a shotgun, aimed at the two humans.

"I don't want any fighting in here, so get the hell out," she ordered levelly, surprising all parties involved. Piotr dropped the human obligingly, who landed on his ass and scooted backwards quickly, his friend backpedaling as well. The mutants remained ominously silent until the offensive men disappeared from view, and turned to the woman.

"Thanks," Deitra began, but the woman waved her hand dismissively. Her black hair was thick with hints of silver, pulled into a ponytail to reveal her ice-blue eyes.

"No problem, kid. I can't stand bigots. Remind me of the damn Nazis, you know? These are on me, for the trouble," she told them, beginning to fill beer glasses to the top with expertise.

"Well, we didn't expect…" Piotr started to say something, and then trailed off, embarrassed. She raised an eyebrow knowingly, and shook her head.

"Me to aim it at them, instead of you? I guess I can understand that," she agreed sympathetically, handing them their glasses. "I've seen some of the other kids in here at night. My name's Angela, by the way."

The mutants introduced themselves quickly, and she cast an appraising glance over them each, coolly assessing their character with just a look.

"Well, you don't seem like troublemakers, so feel free to stick around," she offered, getting a seat behind her bar. "I own the place with my husband, so no one's gonna throw you out unless you make trouble."

"Thanks," Piotr said gratefully, and the woman only grinned at them.

"Hey, kids like you oughta have somewhere to go and relax. I've heard what you get up to – not something people your age should have to deal with," Angela said critically, but shrugged. "Not my place to criticize, I know. I'm old, damnit. I can have an opinion."

"You're free to it," Deitra said with a laugh, shaking her head in amusement. "It's rather refreshing."

"Speaking of refreshing, you mind calming my flowers down? I think you agitated 'em up a bit, and I'll just have to water them again," Angela pointed out, and Deitra looked over to the plants in surprise, which were still twitching and blooming aggressively.

"Sorry," she apologized, calming them with a thought. "Bad habit."

"I can see that," the woman replied dryly, but without malice.

* * *

The three adults left the bar later in the afternoon, noticing the night group was starting to trickle in and not wanting to cause more trouble. Slinking out a back door, they reached the car and shut the doors with a collective sigh.

"What a weird old woman," Deitra finally said, beginning to laugh. "She was so going to shoot those guys!"

"I thought it was going to be us for a moment," the Russian agreed with a chuckle of his own, and Warren shook his head.

"Aren't you two the least bit worried?" he asked, and they turned to look at him in surprise.

"Huh? Why?" she asked in confusion, and he sighed.

"What if we run into them again?"

"Then we'll deal with them on our terms," Piotr informed him, cracking his knuckles. "It wasn't the time or place. And we have to remember the Professor's ideology, whatever we do in the future."

"Point," Deitra agreed with a sigh. "Let's be getting back – I'm sure the kids are there already, and I'm hungry."

"Good idea. Ororo said she wanted to talk to us later anyway," Piotr reminded her, and she nodded before he put the car in gear and shot off with the usual speeding.

* * *

"So, what's up?" Ray asked, strolling into the basement with his usual ease, followed by Deitra and Piotr. Bobby was leaning against a wall, and Ororo was standing in the middle of the room, looking impatient.

"It concerns the Cure," she said, and every mutant in the room flinched.

"What about it? I thought it was destroyed," Bobby said shortly, but Ororo shook her head.

"It was. However, its effects were not permanent. I am receiving word from some of the mutants who were injected with it – their powers are returning."

"What about Rogue?" Piotr asked, "And Magneto?"

"I have not heard from either of them," the woman said calmly. "However, we have a serious issue arising. Most mutants are still unaware of their return, and the resurrection of the supposedly-destroyed mutant 'society' could be disastrous."

"Their powers are going to go out of control?" Deitra asked, and she nodded.

"Perhaps. Mr. McCoy and I have already initiated talks with the President and his cabinet concerning the mutant issue. They believe a public show of reconciliation may mollify the anti-mutant factions some," Ororo told them, and the young adults eyed her suspiciously.

"What kind of 'public reconciliation'?" Ray demanded.

"The President is holding a fundraiser to raise money for the rebuilding of the Golden Gate Bridge. He has extended an invitation for members of the X-Men to attend, which I believe would be prudent."

"How so?" Bobby asked skeptically. "So they can point at us and mutter about how _we_ destroyed the damn thing?"

"So we can show we are sorry for the actions of our fellow mutants, and that we wish to make amends in a step for peace," Ororo replied shortly. "I have considered who is to attend. Xi'an has agreed to attend, as well as myself and Mr. McCoy. Piotr, I would like you, Deitra, and Warren to accompany use as well."

"Huh?" Deitra managed, while Ray's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"We have already discussed Warren's initiation into the X-Men, which I believe would be a good move. Furthermore, it _was_ his father who developed the Cure and set the past in motion, and it may be beneficial to have his son present," the weather witch reminded them, having anticipated these reactions. She turned to the other two mentioned with a short smile. "You two were both present at Alcatraz, and are mutants with highly-developed powers. It would be best to have a show of…_graceful_ force, to deter any negative plans."

"You want us there in case some idiot tries to attack the fundraiser," Deitra said flatly, and Ororo nodded.

"And because you two are both good representatives of mutants – those who can blend in, and those who cannot," she added. "Powerful mutants who can control their powers and their emotions to work with humanity."

"What if this is all a trap?" Bobby protested. "I mean, it's not like the government's the most trustworthy one we've ever had to deal with."

"I believe the President has been frightened into believing what can happen if things are not agreed upon peacefully," Ororo told them. "Unfortunate that it had to happen like that. But a war between humans and mutants would be devastating, and there are not many people in the world who wish for it to happen."

"All right," Piotr agreed with a sigh. "I'm in. Enough. But I need a suit."

"Tuxedo," Ororo corrected, and was met with a heavy sigh. "I will arrange clothing for all three of you, since I am sure none of you has anything appropriate to wear," she continued, almost teasingly. "Now, you can all return to your plans. The fundraiser is a week from today, so I expect everyone to be on their best manners and well-prepared."

* * *

"I think I'm going to burst out," Deitra complained, squirming as Amara helped her fix the crisscrossing straps on her back. "It's too tight!"

"It's supposed to be like that," the young woman laughed, shaking her head. "And it can't be any worse than wearing that leather outfit. Although I have to say, Piotr complained a lot more about his tux than you are now."

"Thanks," she grumbled, rolling her shoulders in an attempt to get some comfort. The dress was a long, figure-hugging piece in a deep tyrian purple shade. It flowed down her body to her silver heels, and the earrings and thin necklace matched the shoes. Silver sequins formed a wavy line down either side of the dress, completing the look.

"You look so pretty – your hair and eyes really come out," Amara told her, adjusting the straps one last time. Deitra nodded in mute appreciation, resisting the urge to tug her neckline higher again since she knew it wouldn't work. Her hair was in a loose French twist with a clip that matched her dress, and some pieces that refused to stay in place fell into her eyes.

"I'd rather not go at all. Want to take my place?" she asked hopefully, but Amara snorted.

"Not on your life, girl. You're stuck going. Who's your date, anyway?" she asked abruptly, and Deitra blinked.

"Date?" she repeated. "I don't have one. Ororo just picked us to go, that's all."

"So, you're all just going to show up in one big gang?" the girl asked skeptically, and the other shrugged.

"I don't know! I didn't plan any of this!"

"Are you ready yet?" a voice called impatiently, and Amara stuck her tongue out as Piotr risked life and limb by poking his head into the room. "Hey, lookin' good," he said, whistling in appreciation. Deitra blushed scarlet, but Amara glared at him.

"You can't just come running in here!" she informed him, and was met with a shrug.

"Ororo sent me. We're getting ready to leave – Xi'an and Warren are ready too. So get a move on, girl. I'll wait outside," he informed them. Finished with his task, the giant took up a spot outside the door with a sigh.

"Well, guess that means you're off. You're done, so no stalling," Amara warned her, sensing what was coming next. "Tell me all about it, have fun, don't talk to anyone important, and all that fun stuff."

"I resent that!" Deitra began hotly, but was pushed into Piotr's back by the girl.

"Like I said – _bye_!" she said pointedly, waving in amusement. Deitra rolled her eyes, and Piotr grinned.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to talk either," he added teasingly, offering her his arm. She finished pulling her long black coat over her before accepting the gesture.

"No teasing," she said sternly, but he only winked at her.

"I'm allowed to. I have to wear this damn thing," he said, making a disgusted face at the tuxedo. She grinned in reply, and shook her head. They arrived at the front door shortly, and Ororo smiled in satisfaction.

"You both look wonderful," she praised them, wearing a slinky golden gown with matching accessories. Xi'an looked even sterner than usual, and had refused a dress – a black pantsuit with cleavage was her only concession.

"Thanks," Piotr grumbled. "We should, since you made us wear it."

"Stop complaining," Warren said calmly, but was elbowed by Deitra.

"You always had to get dressed up!" she shot back, seeing he was wearing a three-piece suit instead of a tux; slits were in his suit so his wings were highly visible. "We're not used to it. And we're all going to be on display like…like…"

"Dolls?" Xi'an offered, and the three younger mutants grimaced.

"Thanks."


	9. Chapter 9

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Another installation for this story, and the promised action. Hope you all enjoy who pops up in this one!

* * *

Deitra found herself on the arms of both Piotr and Warren as the mutants strode up the red carpet to the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, D.C. In-between the two young men who were certainly intimidating in their own right, she was no less nervous as they approached the doors. They followed Ororo and Xi'an, all-too aware of the stares directed their way. Deitra flushed a bright red and envied the other two women as they greeted Dr. McCoy with smiles – they seemed completely unaffected.

"Don't worry," Warren whispered out of the corner of his mouth, and they both glanced at him.

"Hm?" Piotr muttered.

"About the stares. I'm used to it. Just smile and be nice. It'll be over before you know it," he assured them, setting an example as he smiled for the cameras and waved slightly.

"What are you? Some kind of celebrity?" Deitra hissed, and he only grinned at her.

"Duh. We're mutants. Who destroyed the Golden Gate Bridge."

"Wasn't us," she retorted under her breath, plastering a bright smile on her face.

"Doesn't matter."

* * *

The night dragged on for the mutants, who were pestered with usually-insulting questions and blatant stares as the fundraiser wore on. Piotr and Warren ended up acting as bodyguards for Deitra, who was either too polite or confused to refuse several unpleasant and rather-drunk young men.

"You can just say no," Piotr told her in exasperation, but she blinked.

"I thought we had to be on our best behavior."

"Yeah. Doesn't mean you have to let them hang all over you like that," Warren muttered, obviously displeased. She glanced at him, but shrugged. Dinner was a buffet, but they didn't have much of an appetite to begin with. Being forced to mingle with politicians was enough to make anyone nauseas.

"I get it," she grumbled, folding her arms in irritation. "When we can we go?"

"When it's over. Several more hours, I imagine," Xi'an told them, surprising them by appearing from behind. "And keep your voices down," she reminded before pointedly smiling at a passing couple. Turning back to the X-Men, she shook her head.

"We're trying," Deitra protested, and she had to nod in agreement.

"True. Just stick it out."

"I'd rather fight more terrorists. It's more fun," Piotr informed her under his breath, and the woman only chuckled before striding away.

* * *

"And I understand we have you to thank for saving Alcatraz Island from those other mutants," the President began, approaching the three with a wide grin. They exchanged horrified glances before spotting Ororo nearby, who was hurrying over.

"Well, sir, there were a lot of others helping," Warren said carefully, shaking the man's hand reluctantly. None of them had a great love of government, understandably, although none of them were close to anarchy.

"Still, we have some amazing footage! Never been released to the public, of course, but it's mighty fun to watch," the man continued with a laugh and a wink. "Much better than some of the action flicks that come out lately."

"Is that a compliment, sir?" Ororo asked calmly, approaching them with a poker face. "We were fighting for our lives, and for the lives of many other innocent people. We certainly did not mean to provide anyone entertainment. We sustained a great deal of injuries and loss because we fought that battle."

The President looked abashed for a moment and almost embarrassed as he was subjected to the weather witch's stare. Deitra couldn't resist a small smile at his discomfort, and was something he instantly noticed.

"You agree with me, don't you?" he asked cheerfully. "You're that plant-girl, right?"

"Yes, sir," she said, regretting her lapse. "And I respectfully do _not_. I would have been killed if not for my comrades, sir."

This silenced him once more, and Ororo cleared her throat before anything could escalate.

"I am sure you would like to meet Mr. McCoy, if you have not already," she suggested, taking the man's arm and steering him away from the others. Piotr let out a breath, and Deitra glared at the man's back.

"Asshole," she muttered, and winced when Warren pinched her. "Ow!" she hissed.

"Be quiet," he ordered, and she frowned at him before stiffening.

"What?" Piotr whispered, seeing her gesture.

"I don't want to say it," she murmured. "But I think we're being attacked."

"Fuck," the Russian growled, loosening the top buttons of his tuxedo discreetly. Warren followed, as no one was about to notice due to all the drunk legislatures stumbling around

"And of course I'm wearing a damn dress," Deitra hissed, her hand moving subtly behind Piotr's arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to stop them before –" she began, but threw an arm up to cover her face a second before an explosion rocked the building. People were sent flying around the room and to the ground around them, and they heard Ororo's voice over the mayhem.

"We'll protect them! Go!" she shouted. The three X-Men nodded in response, knowing she meant the president and company, and shot forward. Warren flew over the chaos, and groaned when he saw who it was.

"Mystique!" he hollered, as the woman strode through the rubble of the eastern wall with serenity. She was accompanied by several other mutants who had apparently been broken out of jail that very night by her.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Colossus demanded, bracing himself as he saw Toad and a mutant known as Blob approaching.

"Getting revenge," she said smoothly, before launching a kick. He encased himself in metal in time to block her, and she merely bounced off. Frowning, she shifted into an inconspicuous figure before disappearing into the crowd, content to let her lackeys do the dirty work.

"To your right!" Angel shouted to Vaettir, who rolled to the side in time to dodge an explosion. Looking up in confusion, she blinked as a strange man approached.

"Who the fuck are you?" she hissed, vines sprouting out of the cement underneath her and waving threateningly in his direction. He tipped his head to her – if he were wearing a hat he would have tipped that – his strange eyes glittering.

"Gambit. Friends call me Remy."

"I'm guessing you don't hear that much," she growled, before shooting a wall of thorns his direction. He dodged them with unexpected grace, considering his body armor, and she narrowed her eyes.

"And what name might you have, chère?" he asked politely.

"Vaettir," she informed him, straightening with a deadly grace. Gambit had to admit, she was a frightening sight – a glorified princess amongst deadly weapons.

"Who else, who else…" Angel muttered, surveying the scene below with a frown. He noticed Pyro and another strange man before seeing with relief that Storm and Karma were already on the scene.

"I know what you are – a belle végétal," Gambit chuckled, and she glared at him.

"What did you call me, benêt?" she asked softly, and he blinked in surprise.

"I think you know, chére," he replied, and Colossus glanced over his shoulder as Avalanche charged the young woman.

"Vaettir!"

"What are you doing, brut?" Gambit demanded in irritation, but stepped back to avoid being trampled.

"I'm going to finish you, little girl," the man growled, and her eyes widened as she recalled her last encounter. As a result, she froze a second too long and was only saved when Angel swooped in to scoop her up into the air.

"Gotcha," he said with a wink, and she grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry. If you put me down, I'll pummel him," she offered, causing him to laugh in agreement.

"All right. Ready? One…two…" On three, he dropped her directly over Avalanche, and she gripped his arm as he threw it over his head to smack her off.

"Damn it!" he roared, and she winced as Pyro incinerated several barricades.

"Damn it yourself," she shot back, leaping back to the ground as thick roots of several nearby trees shot through the cement only to encase Avalanche in their grasp and drag him down, trapping him in the ground with only his head showing.

"Not bad!" the former student of Xavier crowed, as a stream of flame shot towards Angel. He dodged the flames with grace as Colossus body-slammed the young man to the ground, knocking him out.

"Have you learned nothing?" they heard Storm ask over the din, and grinned when they saw Toad twirling in the air about to be sick.

"No…no…yes!" he blurted, and screamed as she shot him through a window. Karma had found Mystique and was proving more than a match for the combat-skilled mutant. Their movements were a blur to the others, and Storm moved to help.

Vaettir whirled around when she suddenly saw Avalanche rushing towards her, and shrieked as she braced herself for the hit. Angel looked down and saw the huge mutant still lodged in the ground, but narrowed his eyes when he saw the strange mutant in a corner, his eyes focused on the young woman.

"It's an illusion!" he realized, seeing Gambit racing towards Vaettir. The Cajun reached her first, however, and she crumpled to the ground with a whimper of protest as he hit a certain point on her neck. Angel growled and aimed for the mutant who was responsible, but Colossus reached him first.

"Help!" Pyro yelled, as Storm trapped him in a whirlwind before knocking him against a wall and dropping him to the ground.

"Drop him, Colossus!" she shouted, as the giant raised the man into the air by his neck, threatening to break his neck. Karma broke away from her battle with Mystique to rush over, having heard of the man called Mastermind. Blob was also charging the Russian, and Storm directed her attention to that.

"Now you're mine!" the huge man said triumphantly, but Colossus didn't even have time to turn around before a lightening bolt struck the mutant, dazing him long enough for the weather witch to lay another strike to incapacitate him.

"Drop him," Karma ordered, and Mastermind whimpered when he realized the woman was impervious to his illusions. She lunged as soon as Colossus obeyed her order; the man was unconscious in seconds, unable to confuse any of the other X-Men.

"Put her down," Angel ordered, irritated that Gambit had rolled away from his lunge in the air, leaving Vaettir trapped in his arms while he watched the winged mutant in amusement.

"I'm not doing any harm, mon ami," Gambit explained, as if that was all to the issue. Angel took a step forward, but stopped when a kinetically-charged playing card appeared in the mutant's hand, dangerously close to her neck.

"You wouldn't."

"Ah, but I would," he corrected the young man with a grin.

"You are the only left standing," Storm informed him grimly, having discovered Mystique's escape as soon as the rest of the mutants had been dealt with.

"I'm not really with them, maquerelle," he began, but she narrowed her eyes. He gulped when Karma was suddenly at his throat, a dagger barely piercing his skin. He released Vaettir to Colossus reluctantly, and sighed.

"Excuse me?" the woman asked in disbelief. "You expect us to believe you did not attack us?"

"Not really. You see, I only came along for the ride. I'm here from Magneto," Gambit tried to explain, his eyes darting between Karma's dagger and Storm's furious gaze.

"Magneto?" Colossus growled. "What do you mean?"

"He wants an alliance," he started, but that was all.

"Last time we heard that, people died," Storm said softly, but the French-speaking mutant tried desperately to finish.

"No, no! Not like that!" he shouted, as she turned her back. "Against Mystique!"

"And how she could possibly be enough of a threat for us to consider even seeing Magneto without destroying him?" the woman asked softly, and he winced.

"I can't explain that. Monsieur Métal just sent me to say he's going to be at the mansion at dawn. Just him," Gambit said, wincing when he saw their expressions. "And moi."

"_You_?" Angel repeated in disbelief, but Storm raised her hand to silence him.

"Why did Mystique attack?"

"Why? It'd stir things up, madame," he told her with a shrug. "She wants you to know she's back. That's all I got from her, at least. So, can I come?"

"How's Vaettir?" Karma asked abruptly, her dagger pressing closer as she waited for an answer. McCoy had disappeared with the president in the beginning, he and Storm having already laid out a plan in case of attack.

Colossus checked her pulse and breathing, and frowned in irritation that he couldn't give an honest excuse to drop the Cajun then and there. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "Just unconscious."

"I was never going to hurt the belle végétal!" he protested, eyes wide with affected innocence. "Merely incapacitate her to prevent further injuries!"

"Yes, I'm sure you always act with everyone's best interests at heart," Angel snorted, but swallowed a protest when Karma lowered her dagger at a nod from Storm.

"We had best be going before the media arrives. This does not bode well for us to begin with," the weather witch told them with a wistful sigh, and eyed the unconscious mutants.

"What do we do with _them_?" Karma asked in disgust.

"They will remain in that state long enough for the local government to recapture them," she decided firmly. "Let them handle the rest." With that, the group of mutants retreated into the shadows to the Blackbird, which had been their transportation and had caused a rather-lively entrance.

* * *

"Aw, man…" Deitra groaned, holding an ice pack to her neck and glaring across the room at Gambit. He only shot her a wink, smirking the entire time, and she made a disgusted noise before returning her attention to the others.

The group was in the library of the mansion – the entire X-Men force, including a newly-inducted Warren and covert member Xi'an – and Gambit. The Cajun appeared to be immune to the looks sent his way, lounging against the bookcase without a care.

"We have some decisions to make," Ororo informed them, immaculate in her evening gown even after the fight. The others were a bit worse for wear, and Deitra's hair was falling over her shoulders in disarray.

"Like that?" Ray demanded, arms crossed.

"What we are going to do," she said calmly, eyeing the group. "If Mystique is indeed planning something, we cannot just sit by and let her attack innocent people."

"They're hardly innocent," Bobby snorted.

"And how can you suggest we team up with Magneto?" Ray asked in disgust, and she sighed. Wishing McCoy was here to explain it to them – he was busy dealing with the president – Ororo merely shook her head.

"I am not suggesting we team up with Magneto. However, the saying does go to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," she told them.

"Wait, wait, so you _are_ saying we work with him," Warren interrupted with a frown. "Not a good idea."

"What do you mean?" Deitra asked, propping her chin in her free hand.

"I am suggesting that we send one or two people to return with Gambit to see Magneto, and offer our terms for a temporary truce," Ororo said. At that, the entire room broke out into enraged chaos. They only fell silent when a lightening bolt struck right outside the window, shocking them.

"Spies?" Piotr suggested.

"No. None of us are telepaths, it wouldn't work," Xi'an replied with a shake of her head. "But we need to find Mystique and figure out what she's planning."

"So, we split up into groups?" Warren checked, and frowned again when she nodded.

"It is our only option after tonight's debacle," Ororo informed them sternly. "We must make a show of good faith."

"So, to show everyone how harmless we are, we're gonna go work with the dude who caused mass destruction and terror?" Ray asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Gambit chuckled, and he turned with a glare. "What's your problem, jackass?" he snapped.

"There are other operatives around the globe that we can get help from," Ororo continued, raising her voice to speak over the impending argument. "A telepath as well."

"Really? Who?" Bobby asked curiously, but she shook her head.

"Their identity will have to remain unknown for the time being," she told them. "For security purposes. Gambit, who else is with Magneto?" she demanded, turning her attention to the Cajun.

"Besides moi?" he began with a smirk. "Juggernaut, Multiple Man, Toad, and Sabretooth," he rattled off, raising a finger for each mutant. "Toad was supposed to stay with me, but the stupid creature decided he wanted to have more fun," he added in disgust.

"I have heard of them," Ororo said finally, her eyes having grown wide at the mention of Juggernaut.

"So've we," Ray interrupted. "And why do I get this feeling that we're _fucked_?"

"Because we are," Piotr grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. Ororo glared at them, but Deitra crossed her legs and huffed.

"So? What're we going to do? Either we do nothing and get blamed, or we try to stop them and get blamed for ensuing destruction. Ray's right. Either way, we're fucked," she said calmly. "So, I'd rather go out and kick their irritating asses and get blamed for the proper thing."

"Makes sense," Bobby agreed, a bit reluctantly. Ray grinned and ruffled her hair affectionately, causing her to groan.

"I assume we are all in agreement?" Ororo asked. Looking around, she saw nods and smiled. "Good. I suggest you three go and clean up," she suggested. Shrugging, the three dirty X-Men strode from the room, and Ray and Bobby ambled after them. "Stay here, Gambit. I wish to speak with you," she ordered, as the mutant went to leave the room.

He narrowed his eyes, and shut the door.

* * *

"No more nice things for you!" Amara announced, surveying Deitra's tattered dress in dismay. It was tossed onto the bed, and the mutant was currently in the shower trying to rid her hair of the mass amounts of hair products Amara had insisted on using.

"Good!" she hollered through the door. "I don't want 'em!"

"Franklin was looking for you all night. So was Jimmy," Amara told her, poking her head into the bathroom. "I told them you'd watch a movie with them tonight."

"Ah, yes. Fighting off mutants is nothing. Having to watch a movie with those kids is something else altogether," she grumbled, wrapping a towel around herself as she stepped out into the bathroom. "Why Jimmy? I haven't seen him much."

"I think he and Franklin are pals now," the girl told her, leaning against the doorframe as Deitra tried to towel her hair out.

"That's good. Maybe he won't be so dependant on…me," she began, and then realized how cold her words sounded. Amara only laughed, and Deitra looked at her in surprise, orange eyes bright.

"Don't worry, I know what you mean. Especially with everything going on…you can use all the help you can get," she assured her friend, and Deitra winced.

"What do you know about it?"

"Um…it's already on the news," Amara told her, with a face that said 'duh'. "Don't worry, we turned off the televisions. You won't have to watch yourself run out of a destroyed building over and over again," she added cheerfully, and Deitra managed a grin at the teasing.

"Thanks so much," she replied, changing into black pajama pants and a red T-shirt. Amara wasn't to know about the plan – no one outside the X-Men would – but Deitra wished she could confide in her.

"Have fun!" the girl called out with wicked glee, and laughed at the face Deitra made before ambling down the hall.

* * *

**EDIT:** Thanks to Certh for French edits! As for what Gambit called her? "Lovely vegetable." Her? "Idiot." Avalance is a brute, Ororo is 'madam', and Magneto is Mister Metal. Enjoy!


	10. Chapter 10

Summary; Disclaimer; Warning: See First Chapter.

Another chapter for you guys. More action, more twists, and of course more of everyone's favorite Cajun! Ah, and Gambit called Warren 'angel' in French, that's all. Nothing bad!

Reviews welcome.

* * *

"All right, kid, you wanted to see me?" Deitra asked, popping her head into the boy's dorm. Franklin's face brightened immediately and he threw himself at her. "Whoa!" she yelped, as she fell backwards and stumbled into a bedpost.

"Deitra, this is Jimmy! You met him, right?" the boy asked eagerly, pulling her over to the bunk where the other boy sat on the bed, looking embarrassed.

"Sure I have. You look like you're…doing…well…" she began, and trailed off in shock when she saw her reflection in the darkened window. Her hair returned to it's original brunette color, and her eyes faded to a green. She blinked at herself in shock, and looked back when Jimmy mumbled something.

"Sorry," he apologized, but she shook her head, recovering.

"Hm? No, it's all right. It just took me by surprise," she assured him, ruffling his short hair. He grinned at the idea that one of the X-Men who had helped save him _forgot_ his power, but got to his feet agreeably.

"So, what do you want to watch?" Franklin asked, and Deitra smiled.

"I dunno. Whatever you squirts want," she agreed, letting herself be pulled out the room and down the hall. She hadn't come into close contact with Jimmy since that fateful night, and hadn't realized how his power might affect her. She realized her mind felt a lot less crowded, away from the plants, but saw with regret the ones they passed looked a bit droopy.

"_I guess I'd like this kid too, if I had Franklin or Rogue's power,"_ she thought, frowning over the lost X-Men. She looked up again when the kids stopped, and grinned when she saw Warren's confused face staring at her. He literally jumped off the ground when his wings seemed to melt back into his body, and looked back to Jimmy.

"Nice to meet you," he said faintly, and narrowed his eyes.

"Deitra," she supplied with a laugh. "The un-mutant version. Wanna watch a movie with us? I warn you, I have no choice in the matter," she added with mock-seriousness as he trailed after them.

"Sounds good," the young man said faintly, visibly startled by the loss of his wings. She shrugged at him over her shoulder, and he managed a grin back.

* * *

"Disconcerting, isn't it?" she remarked, as she and Warren were left alone in the room. Franklin and Jimmy had been forced to go to bed, leaving the two X-Men alone in the room, who had returned to their 'normal' mutant state as a result.

"I'll say," he agreed, still a bit unsettled.

"Poor kid. Having the other kids either freak out because they lose their powers, or want you around because of it," she said with sudden sympathy, waving at the plants as they began to perk up a little.

"I guess that makes sense," Warren agreed, flexing his wings to adjust back to them. She glanced over curiously, and he blinked. "What?"

"Just wondering what it's like. I've always wanted to be able to fly," she said wistfully. "Closest I'll get is being tossed through the air by someone," she added with a chuckle, being met with a smile.

"Am I interrupting, chère?" Gambit asked, strolling into the room as if he belonged there. Warren glared at him, but Deitra shrugged tolerantly.

"Unless you like the Tyra show, no," she replied, gesturing to the television. He snorted at the show and launched himself over the back of the couch to wedge himself between the two X-Men.

"Well, I don't, so that's no loss," he shot back, elbowing Warren innocently while the winged young man muttered something under his breath. "I heard that," the Cajun added, and he smirked.

"So what?"

"Stop it," Deitra scolded them both, getting to her feet. "I have to make sure the kids are all in bed anyway, so don't go starting any fights," she added, apparently addressing them both. "And then I'm heading to get some rest. If Ororo comes around, let her know where I am."

With that, the young woman strode from the room, leaving the other two mutants alone.

"What are you still doing here?" Warren demanded, channel-hopping with determination. Gambit shrugged, grinning slightly at Warren's obvious irritation.

"Waiting to see who goes back with me to Magneto, ange," Gambit informed him with another casual shrug. "That's all. Madame instructed moi to await her orders," he added a bit mockingly, and Warren got to his feet in aggravation.

"Well, have fun sleeping out _here_," Warren said as he strode from the room. The Cajun waved a hand dismissively at his back, knowing what Magneto really sent him there for and determined to get it.

* * *

"You called?" Ray asked, sliding into a room in the basement with surprising ease, considering he wore his X-suit like all the rest of the team. Warren had received his own outfit with white highlights, and was currently hovering behind Deitra as Gambit smirked at them from across the room.

"I decided who is going to travel with Gambit to speak to Magneto," Ororo told them, and they blinked in surprise.

"I thought we were down here for a training exercise," Deitra objected, but the woman smiled innocently at them.

"Did I ever say that?"

"No," Bobby admitted grudgingly. They had all just assumed the reason they had been called to the basement, and Gambit couldn't help but snicker at their embarrassment.

"Well? Who's going?" Piotr demanded, flexing his muscles with a pointed look sent Gambit's direction. The other mutant only ignored him, actually appearing to be concentrating on what Ororo was saying. The X-Men remained silent as she surveyed them, pausing before answering his question.

"Deitra and Warren," she said finally. Warren's wings twitched in surprise, and Deitra's eyes widened.

"Us?" she repeated, pointing at herself. "You sure, Ororo?"

"Quite sure," she assured them. The fact that Deitra was quickly growing into the potential the Professor had foreseen for her could go unsaid for the time being, and Warren's ability to fly would provide a quick retreat if necessary.

"Why not me?" Piotr asked, clearly unhappy. As a matter of fact, the entire X-Men force didn't appear pleased, having apparently been counting on a chance to encounter Magneto.

"For the same reason I did not choose anyone else," she said pointedly. "All of you are quite eager to start a fight, or you would not look so disappointed. I can count on Deitra and Warren to remain calm," she added, shooting a warning glance in their direction. Deitra quickly threw up her hands in a sign of peace, while Warren only shifted behind her.

"When do we leave?" Deitra asked, deciding to get right down to business for the sake of avoiding an argument. Hair pulled up in a ponytail, a few pieces continued to fall into her eyes and she made a mental note to herself never to let Amara cut her hair again.

"Right now, so it is a good thing you are wearing your suits after all," Ororo told them calmly, and their jaws dropped at her blatant manipulation of them.

"Are we walking?" Warren asked a bit sarcastically, flexing his wings slightly. The white-haired woman smiled at this and shook her head.

"Of course not. Transportation is waiting," she said, gesturing to the garage door. Striding into the room, Deitra whistled in amazement when she saw the sleek motorcycles waiting for them.

"Only two?" Gambit noted, and had the grace to wince when Ororo's stern gaze fixed on him. She clearly didn't trust him not to steal one of their vehicles.

"Yes. You will ride with them and direct them as where to go," she said sternly, and heard a snort from Ray behind her.

"And who'll keep him from leading them right into a trap?" he demanded, but Xi'an sighed.

"We already went over that," the woman reminded him, having remained silent during the entire debate. She had already hashed out the plan with Ororo the night before and saw no need for her to involve herself further.

"Yeah, but –" Piotr began, arms crossed, but Ororo's raised hand was enough to silence him.

"Enough. You two, get going. Comms are already installed in the dash, so contact me if necessary," the woman ordered, and the X-Men headed towards the bikes without a second glance towards the rest of their concerned team.

"I'll ride with you, chère, if you aren't minding," Gambit remarked, swinging his leg over the seat and straddling it behind her gracefully, wrapping an arm around her waist firmly. She glanced at Warren with a raised eyebrow and nodded to Ororo before smirking.

"Hang on," she warned him, before shooting up the ramp and out into the woods on the grounds. Warren followed, both having taken driving courses since the Alcatraz incident and having grown quite capable of handling the machines.

* * *

"Think you're going fast enough, chère?" Gambit asked, but she only gripped the accelerator, actually enjoying the rush of speed.

"Where're we going, anyway?" Warren asked, a radio in their helmets to provide easy communication while riding. She glanced over at him and managed a small shrug.

"Ask him," she retorted, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder to indicate the Cajun.

"Just keep going straight," he assured them.

"What _country_ are we going to?" the young man asked snidely, wings tucked firmly against his back to prevent wind resistance. Both X-Men waited for a response, and Deitra narrowed her eyes when there was none forthcoming.

"Care to tell us?" she hinted.

"Up north," he said vaguely, waving his hand dismissively – not an easy feat, considering the speed they were currently going.

"Canada?" Warren guessed, and groaned when there was silence. "You're telling me _farther_?"

"Are we playing with any penguins or something?" Deitra asked suspiciously, and Gambit snorted.

"Not quite that far, végétale," he assured her, eliciting a groan from the nickname. "Just somewhere nice and isolated."

"Of course," she grumbled, before remembering it was springtime in that area and there would be plenty of new wildlife for her explore. Brightening at the idea, she grinned over at Warren, who returned it with a wink of his own.

* * *

"What is going on in here?" Ororo demanded that evening, striding into the danger room with a frown on her face. The remaining X-Men looked over at her with guilty expressions on her face, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Uhm…"

"Shut up, Insta-Freeze," Ray threatened Bobby, who punched him in the side. "Ow!"

"Have I not told you before, the Danger Room is for training purposes _only_?" Ororo asked in exasperation. "Not to reenact your favorite scenes from Star Wars!"

"But, it's such a great place!" Ray protested, his Princess Leia-buns wig askew on his head as Piotr – who else but Chewbacca – held him aloft.

"You should see my C-3PO impression," Bobby added, a trash can acting R2-D2's pivotal role in the discovery of Han Solo and Luke in the prison blocks in Episode Four.

"I think I shall pass," the woman replied dryly, covering her eyes with a hand. "If anyone is ready to actually train, I would appreciate it," she added pointedly, and Piotr dropped 'Leia' with a shrug.

"You could've _put_ me down," Ray grumbled, rubbing his backside and whisking his false buns off in an instant.

"What happened, anyway? I thought Magneto was coming here, and next thing we know you sent Deitra and Warren off with that mutant," the giant asked accusingly, eyeing Ororo with something akin to suspicion.

"I had our telepath contact Magneto to inform him that would not be necessary," she replied coolly. Since he and Deitra had been given second-in-command positions in the team, she had begun to have her patience sorely tested at times.

"Who is it? Can you tell us now?" Bobby asked, de-icing and striding over.

"Her name is Emma Frost. She currently lives in England, but I have requested her presence here to help us contact Deitra and Warren when necessary," Ororo finally said, eyeing each and every one of them. "I also need more teachers for the students, an arrangement to which she has agreed."

"So, she's joining the X-Men?" Ray checked.

"She already has," the woman informed them dryly. "I told you earlier, she is a covert operator for us overseas."

"So, how'd you get a hold of her, if she's undercover and all that?" the crackling mutant pressed.

"A phone."

"Oh."

"When is she arriving?" Piotr asked, and she glanced back at him.

"Tomorrow afternoon. And I expect all of you to show the proper respect to her," she added warningly. "She is a very powerful psychic, as well as a woman with very powerful connections. We are lucky to have her on our side."

"For how long?" Piotr grumbled under his breath. Ororo sent him a sharp look, but declined to respond.

* * *

"Now that we're far enough north to worry about running into grizzlies, are we there yet?" Warren demanded, stretching his wings briefly. The three had ridden all night, following Gambit's directions blindly, and the light of dawn was just beginning to brighten the trees around them.

"Turn here, ma chère," Gambit ordered, and she swerved the bike down a narrow dirt path through the trees, zigzagging with inhuman instincts to avoid a collision.

"You can slow down anytime!" her fellow X-Men yelled, and she obligingly hit the brakes with a grin. "You like these way too much," he complained, falling in behind her as she picked up the pace slightly.

"Yeah," Deitra admitted with a grin. "Blame Piotr, he kept taking me on the highways to get faster on 'em."

"We're almost here," Gambit interrupted, and they both fell silent to try to spot the camp before they drove into what could be a trap. Deitra didn't sense anything unusual around them, but suddenly swung the bike sideways and skidded several yards before coming to a smoking stop.

"You can walk the rest of the way," Sabretooth advised them, stepping out from behind a tree directly next to her. Glaring as they removed their helmets, Warren spread his wings defensively and earned a growl from the man.

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you," Warren advised a certain green figure, who glowered before stepping back. Falling in step with Deitra, the two X-Men strode through the trees with Sabretooth in front, Gambit in back.

As they came closer to the camp, they saw the base appeared to be in an underground cavern, if the large opening in the nearby mountain was any clue. Juggernaut was lingering near the entrance, and Deitra winced – he looked far too much like Avalanche for her comfort.

"Ah, I see you've returned, Gambit!" a voice called, and both adults were visibly startled to see how _healthy_ Magneto looked as he strode from the cave to greet them. Garbed in his usual outfit, he looked even better than before he had been injected with the Cure.

"Of course, monsieur," the Cajun replied, sweeping a bow as he stepped to Deitra's other side. She suddenly got the feeling something was going on that they didn't know about, and instinctively reached out with her powers.

"It's a pleasure to see the both of you again," Magneto said graciously, and Deitra raised an eyebrow.

"When you're not trying to kill us, it's not bad to see you either," she agreed, and Warren folded his arms across his chest and did his best to keep from grinning. This wasn't going to be a pretty conversation, that much was obvious.

"I can see why Ororo sent you," the man chuckled, in his usual amicable tone. "Now, I'm sure Gambit informed you the reason I suggested a meeting."

"A truce until Mystique is under control," Warren volunteered, and was met with Magneto's own raised eyebrow.

"Very good," he said, nodding his head. "But I'm afraid that was merely a ruse to try to ensnare my true objective."

"We're hardly going to be hostages," Deitra began, but he shook his head.

"I'm glad Ororo sent you because my objective was to meet you, Deitra," he informed her, and she blinked. "You see, Charles had a reason for letting you enter the Institution that night, when you fled the Hand," the man continued calmly. "And for letting you join the X-Men. Your power over plants is enormously strong – it continues to grow. I'm sure you haven't been told anything – for your own sake, I'm sure." He said this with a snort, and Deitra frowned.

"What are you babbling about?" she demanded. "The Professor let us in because we needed help. And I joined the X-Men because I have a strong mutation, Ororo already told me that. It's why we're X-Men," she continued, in a 'duh' tone of voice.

"Your mutation is a very potent one, young lady," Magneto informed her. "You possess the potential to become one of the most powerful mutants on the planet. You already are one of the strongest on this continent," he added, and she turned pale.

"That's stupid," the young woman shot back, at a loss for words. What the man said made sense, unfortunately, and she had no idea how to take it.

"So, you're trying to use her like you used Rogue? And Jean?" Warren cut in angrily, stepping closer to Deitra and taking her arm. He glared down the mutants, wings stiff. "I don't think so," he spat.

"Her power is hardly as volatile as Jean's was, and not nearly as limited as Rogue's," the man replied in dry amusement. His look was amicable, but the fact that the Juggernaut and Sabretooth were not-so-subtly closing around them wasn't lost on the X-Men. "You and I can do great things together," he finished, giving her one last chance.

"I'll settle for the X-Men instead of world domination," Deitra replied. Magneto shook his head in apparent disappointment, but smiled thinly in her direction.

"A fool like your teachers," he said, and Warren hurled her aside as Toad leaped at them from the trees. She rolled to the side and stopped at Gambit's foot. Scrambling to her feet, she spared a glare for him before lifting Sabretooth up into the air.

"I had nothing to do with this, chère!" he protested, dodging back to avoid becoming involved in the fight. Gambit was ignored as she concentrated on keeping Avalanche at bay, and he saw Toad leaping at her a split-second too late.

"Gotcha!" the little man cackled, as he knocked her to the ground and pinned her.

"Get…off!" she grunted, and suddenly gasped as he plunged a needle into her neck.

"I'm so sorry it had to come to this," Magneto said, moving to stand over the frozen woman. "But I can't afford to let your powers continue at their current rate if you're going to stand with those foolish mutants."

"You didn't!" Gambit began, taking a step forward. Warren flew by him in a rage, a well-placed punch sending Toad flying across the clearing.

"You bastard!" the young man choked, pulling the needle from her neck. "You injected her with the Cure!"

"Yes, I managed to acquire a few last remnants before it was destroyed," the man said pleasantly, as Deitra began to moan softly. Warren debated on taking on the master of metal himself, but a glance at his pale comrade decided for him.

"You're going to pay for this," he promised, scooping her up and spreading his wings in preparation for flight.

"Not so fast," Magneto objected, narrowing his eyes. Warren turned as a motorcycle raised into the air, tensing as the machine flew in his direction. It exploded before it went too far, however, and Gambit stalked closer with another playing card in hand.

"I didn't agree to this, monsieur," he growled. "I can't abide stealing someone else's powers, no matter the cause."

"And you think you can stop me?" the man asked with a laugh, the other bike rising. Warren took off at this threat, hovering over the clearing for a split second before abandoning all hope of a fight and soaring away over the trees.

"No, but the X-Men can," the Cajun retorted, dodging the bike with a skilled roll and charging another card. "It hasn't been a pleasure, monsieur," he added, exploding the card in front of him. As the smoke cleared, the outline of the man could be seen heading in another direction. Sabretooth, released from his bonds, growled and stepped forward, but an outstretched hand from Magneto made him pause.

"Let him go," the man said lazily. "We have more important concerns, now that one of them has been dispatched for the time being."


	11. Chapter 11

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

I'm glad you all liked the last chapter, and no one got mad about the twist. Translations, in the order they appear: "I'm terribly sorry;" "These are lovely flowers;" enfante is child; "Don't be afraid."

Reviews appreciated!

* * *

"Deitra? Are you all right?" Warren asked urgently, as a thin sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead. Her face was a sickly pale and he noticed with a sinking feeling that her hair was fading from green to the brown he had seen only one other time.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she moaned, causing his eyes to widen in alarm. He lighted on the ground, dropping to his feet easily, watching her uneasily. She coughed and rolled out of his arms in a second, landing heavily on her knees and emptying her stomach with obvious pain.

He knelt next to her and pulled her hair out of her face, concern etched on his face mixed with rage. "I'm so sorry," he managed, feeling the lump of helplessness in his throat. She tried to say something, choked, and shook her head.

"Not your fault," she croaked, looking up with a weak smile. "I should've seen it coming."

"Who would've thought he'd do that?" Warren argued, gripping her elbow as she moved to sit down.

"I didn't. Ororo didn't either, or she would never have sent us," she said, resting her head on her knees. "I just need to rest a little. More flying and I'm going to ruin your suit."

"I think this thing can survive a few of your pukes," he joked, peering at her. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

"Weak," she replied. "And empty. I can't…I can't _feel_ them anymore," she said, frustration building in her voice. "It's not fair!" she suddenly shouted, but Warren had expected that and didn't jump back. Instead, he rested his hand on her back when he saw tears in her eyes.

"It'll wear off," he tried, but she shook her head.

"That doesn't help," she managed, leaning against him. He sighed and rested his chin on the top of her head, holding her to him in a manner he normally wouldn't have dared to do.

"I know."

* * *

Warren woke up with a start and looked around to see it was already close to night, as he saw where the sun was. _"Slept the whole day,"_ he thought ruefully, rolling his shoulder and noticing Deitra on the ground beside him. She appeared in less pain, her breathing even, and he sighed in relief.

"She probably needed it," he mused, getting to his feet and discovering leather was not the best pajama material. Beginning to stretch, he froze when he saw Gambit stride towards them from behind a tree and narrowed his eyes. Outstretching his wings defensively, he stepped in front of Deitra.

"Is she awake yet?" Gambit asked, but Warren only glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped. The Cajun only shrugged, the travel obvious on his clothing.

"I had nothing to do with that, ange," he informed him stiffly. "I would never rob a mutant of their powers like that. The bâtard tricked me," he added bitterly, trying to see past Warren's wings to Deitra.

"I'm sure." The sarcasm was evident in his voice, and Gambit's eye twitched in irritation.

"Let me talk to her," he insisted, looking hopeful as he heard her shift with a moan.

"I feel like I had too much to drink…damn sun," Deitra grumbled, sitting up with a little effort and holding her head. "I feel like crap," she complained, as Warren crouched down next to her. Catching sight of Gambit, she frowned. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?" she snapped.

"Je suis vraiment désolé," he said hastily, taking a step towards her. She stiffened angrily and shook her head.

"Speak English," she growled, knowing full well what he said anyway. He flinched, but dropped to a crouch in front of them.

"I want to go back with the X-Men," he announced. "I'm no longer with Magneto, not after that display. I want to try to make amends."

"_You_?" Warren snorted, but the Cajun frowned in his direction while still staring at Deitra.

"I did a terrible wrong, and it's not in my nature to let those go," he insisted. It was obvious he was going nowhere unless he was going with them, and Deitra sighed.

"I'm not even an X-Man anymore," she said sourly. "At least, I don't think so…I don't know! Fine, come with us and Piotr will crush you like a little Louisiana shrimp," she decided cheerfully. Warren snickered at this and got to his feet, pulling Deitra upright with grunt.

"You're still as heavy," he complained jokingly, wincing when she punched him. "At least you can still kick my butt," he grumbled, but moved quickly as she swayed on her feet.

"I'm just kind of dizzy," she said in embarrassment, but he frowned.

"You shouldn't walk. You can follow us on the ground, since we don't have any transportation," Warren informed Gambit, before gently lifting Deitra off the ground before spreading his wings and rising into the air.

"Sure thing, ange," the Cajun grumbled, plodding after them with a heavy sigh.

* * *

"Well, I didn't expect this," Piotr remarked, stepping from the Blackbird. The three adults blinked at him, having seen the jet land late that night in the trees in front of them. Warren had landed immediately, while Gambit was left to catch up on his own.

"How'd you find us?" Warren asked, refusing to release a struggling Deitra, who was more embarrassed than actually ready to walk.

"We've got a psychic now," the giant told them with a brief grin. "When we didn't hear from you, Ororo had her find you guys and sent us to pick you up." Ray emerged from behind him and his face immediately darkened when he saw Deitra.

"What the fuck happened?" he demanded, striding over to them. "Your hair! And eyes!" he realized, staring when he saw the comfortingly-familiar orange eyes replaced by a dark green.

"Magneto wanted Deitra to join him. He was spouting something about her power," Warren said shortly, gently placing on her feet. Ray immediately gripped her elbow, receiving a weak smile.

"He didn't like it when I said I was an X-Man. He injected me with the Cure," Deitra told them quietly. A shocked silence reigned for all of three seconds, until Piotr choked on something.

"He _what_?" he managed, before lifting Gambit up in the air by his neck. "Give me a good reason not to crush you right now," he growled, glancing over as Deitra shook her head.

"He said he didn't know," she admitted. "He kept Magneto from crushing us with the bikes before following us."

"I'll let Ororo deal with you," Piotr decided grimly, dropping him ungracefully and striding back over to his comrades. Ray was literally crackling with rage, blue sparks escaping from his clenched fists. "Easy," the giant hinted, resting a hand on his shoulder.

The young man only grunted before lowering his voltage, obviously with great reluctance, and took a deep breath. "You're dead," he promised, before stomping off into the Blackbird.

"I'm not going to argue that fact," Warren muttered, folding his wings back after stretching. Deitra sighed at the show of temper, looking up when Piotr gripped her elbow where Ray's hand had previously been.

"Come on, we need to get you home," he informed her, but she shook her head when he went to scoop her up.

"I can walk. Sort of," she added reluctantly, stumbling a little. "Give me a little dignity, please," she requested firmly, causing Piotr to sigh.

"Well, all right then, Miss I-can't-walk-but-I'm-going-to-anyway," he said teasingly, still holding her arm firmly to guide her. "Let's get back home and figure out what the hell's going on."

* * *

"I am so sorry, Deitra," Ororo repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time, as the X-Men and Gambit gathered in the library after Warren and Deitra had changed into fresh clothing and eaten something.

"You didn't know," she mumbled, a bit embarrassed that the legendary Storm was apologizing for something.

"This is Emma Frost, our newest teacher and resident," the woman said, abruptly switching gears and gesturing to the pale blond woman next to her on the seat. The stranger nodded, her ice-blue eyes surveying them with a frosty gaze.

"It's a pleasure to meet more X-Men," she said shortly, and they returned her greeting with brief nods of her head. "Although I assume the young woman is no longer a member of the team, due to her lack of powers," Emma began, but Piotr interrupted angrily.

"Of course she is!" he said hotly, glaring at the woman. Deitra rested her hand on his arm before the fight could escalate and shook her head.

"I don't have any powers," she pointed out. "For however long it lasts, I'm just going to have to take a back seat. I won't be much use, after all." Running her hands through her hair, a dismal expression crossed her face.

"She's still an X-Man," the Russian grumbled, leaning back in his seat while eyeing Emma resentfully. The woman ignored his expression, appearing completely at ease.

"Temporarily out of commission, that is all," Ororo said firmly, staring at the team in an effort to force them to agree. While they didn't actually argue, their faces made it clear the matter was not settled.

"What do we do with _him_?" Ray asked, gesturing with a disgusted expression towards Gambit. The man was leaning against the doorframe, looking calm as usual. "It's his fault," he added angrily, making an effort not to set the couch on fire.

"I didn't know what Magneto would do," the Cajun protested. "I knew he wanted her to join his little party, but I didn't know he'd strip her powers if she didn't."

"What, did you think he was going to just agree and let us walk away?" Warren asked sarcastically. Gambit only shrugged, as if he couldn't care less.

"Couldn't care less," he said. "But you two were stupid enough to walk into that, so it's not entirely my fault anyway, ange." At this, half the room – the angry half – got to their feet angrily, while Gambit only eyed them coolly.

"Sit down!" Ororo said firmly, an order which they reluctantly obeyed when her eyes began to glow dangerously white. "I agree Gambit cannot be held entirely responsible," she began, but to their surprise the Cajun himself cut her off.

"I'm not, but it's still my fault and my responsibility," he began, taking a step forward. "I don't know what monsieur's plans are now, but I can bet that he won't leave the X-Men alone for very long. I want to offer my services to you, mademoiselle, until chère végétale gets her powers back," he finished, turning to Ororo with a blank expression on his face.

"That's very generous," Xi'an said wryly. "How do we know it's not another trap?"

"Read my mind," he challenged them, looking at Emma boldly. "She'll be able to tell I'm not lying." At this offer, the psychic and weather witch exchanged glances while Xi'an only snorted in disbelief. Gambit waited as Emma turned her gaze on him before seeming to let her mind wander. The others shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to do.

"What a load of bull," Ray muttered under his breath. "How do we know he doesn't know how to block psychics? Or shield his thoughts?" Ororo turned a sharp eye on him, but refrained from saying anything for the moment. Emma turned to whisper something in the woman's ear a few seconds later, and she nodded.

"All right, Gambit. You may stay for now," she agreed, and the man smirked in reply.

"I would like to serve as a bodyguard for chère végétale as well," he added, causing several X-Men in the room to narrow their eyes. Ororo had seemed to expect that request, however, and nodded.

"All right," she agreed. Deitra choked in surprise, staring at Ororo.

"What?" she demanded. "I don't need a bodyguard!"

"The others are still full-time members," Ororo told her calmly. "They may be gone at one time or another on a mission. Gambit will merely ensure you do not come to any harm until your powers return, that is all. Especially if an attack from Magneto is pending."

"So _he_ says," the young woman grumbled.

"I believe that we can expect trouble soon," Ororo told her sternly, her tone booking no further argument. Deitra sighed in aggravation, rolling her eyes tolerantly as Piotr patted her head sympathetically.

"If we're all done, I suppose you can run off," Xi'an told the team, and it was obvious an argument was coming as she glanced at Ororo. The team got out of the room quickly, Bobby shutting the door behind them as they strolled down the hallway, Gambit trailing behind.

"I guess I should head to class," Bobby said apologetically and Ray grunted in response.

"I've got to fry some more shit in the Danger Room before I serve up a burnt Cajun dinner," he growled, stalking off after Bobby with fists clenched. The Cajun in question seemed to smirk in his direction, but didn't say anything.

* * *

"You're saying you couldn't probe his mind?" Xi'an asked incredulously, staring at the psychic in amazement. "He's immune, like me?"

"Not quite," Emma replied impatiently. "He serves as a living generator of bio-kinetic energies and it seems to create a sort of static interference around him. I can't probe his mind."

"Then why on earth did you let him stay?" the woman demanded, turning on Ororo. "He's dangerous! He's obviously fixated on Deitra for whatever reason and now that she's powerless, she's completely defenseless!"

"Her fighting abilities are quite excellent, considering she relies on her mutation far more in combat," Ororo argued quietly. "Besides, I highly doubt that she is going to be left alone much with him, considering the general attitude concerning his presence."

"He does truly wish for redemption," Emma interrupted, not flinching when Xi'an's fierce gaze was turned on her.

"And how do you know that?" she asked sarcastically.

"I could read it in his eyes," the psychic replied coolly. "And he does feel guilty about what happened, that much is obvious. He's hardly the responsible type, if you couldn't tell," she added dryly. "He wouldn't have walked in here unless he had a sincere wish to help, or at least make up for a wrong."

"Or if he's got a sincere wish to bring down the X-Men from the inside," Xi'an grumbled, but Ororo shook her head.

"We can only wait and see, can we not?" she decided. "Unless the Cajun does something to prove us wrong, he is going to stay."

Xi'an, obviously dissatisfied with the decision, stalked from the room with her back stiff, but Emma shook her head in amusement.

"It seems I came at an interesting time," she remarked.

* * *

"The kids are looking forward to another movie night," Piotr offered, as they wandered outside. Deitra looked depressed as the sights of her flowers filled her vision, and was startled when Gambit was suddenly at her side.

"Did you do this, chère?" he asked in surprise and she nodded slightly. "Ces fleurs sont vraiment jolies," he complimented her, but she only shrugged.

"They looked better when they had someone to talk to," she said, sounding disgruntled and looked over as Blue zipped over to her.

"You'reback!Howdiditgo?Diditgoallright?Whathappenedtoyoureyes?" she asked, and Gambit appeared slightly impressed that she understood what the girl was saying.

"It's complicated," she admitted, dropping into a crouch. "But I'll get better soon," she added cheerfully, and grinned at her. "So don't go destroying everything, and I might watch a movie with you twerps later. Got me?"

"Gotcha!" she agreed with a quick grin and a dash that quickly took him from their sight.

"I think the enfant had too much sugar," Gambit remarked, staring in the direction of the girl. "How do you understand her?" he added, and Deitra wondered how she could understand _Gambit_, considering how thick his accent was.

"That's her power," Piotr informed him shortly. "Speed."

"I'll be that comes in handy when she breaks something," the man remarked, and the giant made a noise in his throat that seemed to indicate he was going to throw the Cajun across the yard, which was large indeed.

"Don't make fun of their powers," Deitra said sharply, bouncing back upright and glaring at the Cajun. "They're still learning how to live with them, so keep your mouth shut with those snide remarks."

Gambit looked at her with what seemed like surprise on his face before he chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "No harm meant, chère," he protested, but took an obliging step back when Warren stretched his wings slightly.

"I think we need to get to training," Piotr said grudgingly, ignoring Warren's muttered protest. The Cajun was never going to show his hand if they stalked him every second of the day, the giant had decided, and the sooner they knew his intentions the better.

"Holler if you need us," Warren ordered, striding after the Russian with wings twitching in aggravation. Gambit chuckled to himself, shaking his head, and Deitra eyed him sharply.

"You had better not be planning anything," she warned him and he looked at her with a grin.

"Why? Think you can take on the Gambit, chère?" he asked cheerfully, and she rolled her eyes skyward.

"I've had enough martial arts training that I could put up a fight," she amended, but to her surprise, he frowned and shook his head.

"That's not good enough," he informed him calmly. "You have to be able to beat the best right now, or else you won't stand a chance if you're cornered in a fight by a mutant."

"Hey!" she began indignantly, but knew he was right. He drew out his staff from under the trenchcoat and she stepped back warily. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, but he shrugged.

"N'aie pas peur," he assured her. "I want to test your reflexes. If I wanted to hurt you, I could've done it without anyone knowing," he added with a chuckle, but paused when he saw her expression. "Now, just try to hit me," he ordered.

"Gladly," she retorted, and came at him with a flying kick that was easily deflected. She found herself on the ground with Gambit bent over her, laughing.

"I hope that wasn't your best, chère," he told her, earning a dirty look as he pulled her to her feet.

"Hardly. I'm a bit off, considering the way my day's been," she said dryly. He nodded, conceding the point.

"All right, we'll try again tomorrow," he told her.

"Who appointed you my trainer?" she demanded, hands on her hips as he began to stride away towards the mansion.

"I did, végétale!" he called over his shoulder, causing her to grit her teeth in frustration.

* * *

"You don't look too good," Amara said sympathetically, having been told what happened by Ray that afternoon in a rather-loud venting session. Deitra glanced over as her friend leaned on her doorframe, having collapsed onto her bed only minutes before.

"I feel like shit," she groaned. "If I have to keep pretending to be happy or like I feel fine, I'm going to kill someone," she added fervently. "And it's going to be that damn Frenchie stalker."

"So stop pretending," the young woman suggested, taking a seat next to her. "No one expects you to be very happy, or to feel good, so why act like you do? You're not bitchy enough," she added cheerfully, grinning widely. "You could do with some attitude change, hippie."

"How I wish Ray never told you that," the stripped mutant groaned, rolling over on her stomach. "So, what? I'm supposed to ignore the kids and punch out Gambit tomorrow?"

"Well, not _ignore_ the kids," Amara admitted. "But they've got plenty of work to do, so let 'em be and concentrate on yourself. And sure, punch him out!" she added happily. "Kick his balls in, too."

"_Amara_!"

"What?" she asked innocently, with a shrug. "No one'll blame you for it."

Deitra only groaned again and covered her eyes, having a feeling the next day would not be pleasant.

* * *

"Morning!" Ray greeted her cheerfully as she strolled into the kitchen. She looked suspiciously at him, seeing as his hair was smoking and he looked a little _too_ happy.

"What's with you?" she demanded, reaching around Franklin for a glass. Keeping an eye on the mutant as she headed towards the fridge, she sighed when he only laughed.

"Nothing," he replied innocently, and she gave him a dubious stare once her head had come out of the fridge to look for the orange juice. Piotr strode into the room, surprisingly smoking as well, and grinned widely at her.

"Morning!"

"That's the _exact_ same greeting I got from Ray," Deitra informed them, a hand on her hip. "What did you two do? And where's Warren?" she suddenly asked, narrowing her eyes.

"He's…busy," Piotr replied vaguely, eyes concentrating on the ceiling with sudden interest. Deitra only stared at them, tapping her foot expectantly, while the kids snuck in the doorframe to watch.

"Doing what?" she demanded, before her eyes widened in surprise. "Did you do something to him?"

"No!" Ray said indignantly. "We said! He's busy!"

"Well, I don't believe you, and I'm go – what on earth happened to _you_?" she gasped, as Warren ambled into the kitchen, the same guilty expression on his face and his appearance a little worse for wear.

"Nothing."

"Deitra!" Pietro yelled, zipping past the three men to grab her arm. "Thatnewguythat''snothappyandIthinktheydidit."

"Oh really?" Deitra said, raising an eyebrow in the guilty party's direction. "Thank you, Pietro. Go get Heather to pull him out, please. I'll be there in a minute."

"Sure!" he agreed, his wake leaving her hair lifting off her shoulders briefly as if there was a breeze.

"Well?" she asked, staring them down.

"He's dangerous," Piotr said, taking a step forward to meet her stare with one of his own. "He can't just run around loose."

"So you stick him in a hole in the ground?" she asked in amazement, shaking her head. "You three are acting like children. The next one to lay a hand on him – without a _good reason_ – is going to answer to Ororo," the young woman informed them, before striding past them after Pietro.


	12. Chapter 12

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Here's finally another update from yours truly, with some twists ahead. In the last part, when Gambit says more French, he's saying 'You have the freedom to act.' Enjoy!

* * *

"So, végétale, how do you earn any money living here?" Gambit asked curiously as they strode the halls later that day, Deitra having chased the offending X-Men away long enough for them to train.

Not on Gambit.

"I teach," she informed him in amusement. "Ororo _does_ pay me, you know. Technically I'm not a student anymore. I'm an X-Man, and I'm a teacher. Therefore, I get paid for sticking around putting up with these monsters," she added, catching a running boy and eyeing him.

"Sorry." Sam reluctantly apologized with a sigh, and she winked at him before letting him go.

"Just cut it out," she called as he hurried past.

"I'm impressed," the Cajun admitted. She looked at him blankly before laughing.

"I don't see with what. I let my powers get wiped out, I'm a teacher in a school for mutant children who never listen to a word I say, and I have to try to keep myself together on top of it. Nothing much to be impressed with," she said with a shrug. They were outside by this point, heading into the yard so she could check on her plants.

"That's exactly what I meant, végétale," he informed her, pointing a finger in her direction. "The effort you make is enormous, chère. Anyone can see that. And yet you walk around and act like nothing's wrong, able to pretend you're perfectly fine. It takes a strong person to do that."

"Are you always such a flatterer, benêt?" she asked, raising her eyebrow to hide her embarrassment. He only grinned at her, palms spread in a sign of peace.

"Moi? Of course not," he replied cheerfully.

"I'm sure you're as honest as a newborn babe," she agreed sarcastically, rolling her eyes pointedly. Deitra was surprised at the ease she was able to talk to the Cajun, and suspected a large part of it was his natural charm. He seemed to understand somehow what it felt like to have your powers taken away somehow, though, and she wondered if something similar had happened to him.

"Of course, chère," he assured her, giving her what she assumed was supposed to be an innocent look. She snorted in response, dropping into a crouch to finger some of the wilted plants. Frowning, she glared at nothing in particular for moment before sighing.

"It's not fair," she complained. "I can't think of anything to fix them!"

"They just be missing you, végétale," Gambit assured her, looking down at the young woman with mixed amusement. "Once you're back they'll perk right up, I'm sure of it."

"So am I," she said dryly, glancing up at him. "I didn't need reassuring, Gambit. And do you ever take off that body armor?" she added, getting back to her feet and eyeing him dubiously.

"Almost never," he replied with a grin. "You never know when you might need it. Ever thought about getting some?"

"Never," Deitra informed him, rolling her eyes and finding herself caught between amusement and despair.

* * *

"I do not want to know how you discovered this information," Ororo stated, looking up from her desk as soon as Emma strode into the room. Resting her pen on the pad in front of her, she gestured for the woman to sit down. "But I do want to know what you discovered," she assured her.

"Good, because it was quite a lot of trouble to find out anything on Monsieur LeBeau," Emma replied coolly, sitting with all the grace of a queen and eyeing the other woman with no apprehension. "He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kidnapped from a hospital, he was raised by the LeBeau clan of the Thieves Guild and eventually adopted into the family itself. He is able to control all forms of kinetic energy, even to the point he can heal himself."

"But?" the witch prompted, when Emma hesitated.

"It appears he was injected with the Cure by Magneto himself before the attack on Alcatraz," Emma continued. "It seems that the master of metal was concerned about his possible involvement and decided it would be easier to merely incapacitate him instead of risking the chance Gambit would fight against him. When he regained his powers, Gambit found himself stronger both in his mutant abilities and physically."

"Is there a chance the Cure prohibits a normal aging process?" Ororo demanded in alarm. "Warren told me that Magnus seemed unusually healthy considering he has only recently recovered. And younger, somehow."

"I'll have my people look into it," the woman agreed with a nod. "It might be wise to assume for the time being that it does. And that once a mutant recovers from it, their abilities are stronger than they were before. Perhaps the inhibitions the Cure forces on the mutation sends it into a temporary frozen stage, where it continues to grow and only appears once it's released once more," she mused.

"Locking it away, and then the mutation shows itself with all the power it built up while contained," Ororo said thoughtfully, frowning at nothing in particular. "So it appears to everyone that the Cure boosts a mutant's powers once it wears off. Anti-mutant factions will cause a lot of trouble over this."

"This could be why Magneto injected Gambit, and now Deitra," Emma began. "Gambit is quite a powerful mutant. And Professor Xavier and yourself already agreed on Deitra's potential. Perhaps he's still planning on recruiting them by some means."

"You think so?" the other woman asked with a frown. Emma nodded, smirking slightly.

"I may not be able to penetrate Magneto's helmet, but I can read the minds of those around him. They certainly believe he hasn't given up on the chance they'll join him," she said firmly. Ororo's frown only deepened at this news, but she shook her head.

"They won't," she argued, her tone just as firm.

* * *

"You've got to move quicker," Gambit informed her, after three hours in the Danger Room trying to teach Deitra hand-to-hand combat. "Anyone with reflexes faster than a slug could – ugh!"

"It's called playing possum," she said dryly, looking down at him after sending him flying with a surprisingly-strong kick.

"For all this time, végétale?" he asked weakly, getting to his feet and wincing despite the protection his armor gave. "You won't have three hours in real combat," he reminded her, but she shrugged.

"I won't be going into combat until I have my powers, so the point is moot," she replied, and the man groaned.

"You don't get it," he began, but she jabbed a finger in his chest.

"_You_ don't get it," she argued. "Because I was stupid enough to be tricked, we've had to draft Amara into the X-Men to make up for lost ranks. Who knows when I'll be able to use my powers again and in the meantime, we have at least two anti-mutant factions attacking mutants on the outside and the problem of Magneto. So don't tell me what I don't get. I'm no use without my powers, so I'll stay in the background and help where I can."

Gambit's jaw dropped at this show of temper before he grinned slyly.

"Ah, the végétale has a spicy side, I see. Maybe you're more of a hot pepper," he teased, causing her to raise her eyebrow with a 'look'. "All right, drop into this stance," he told her, shifting. She copied his movements easily, having long ago broken in the leather suit, and watched him carefully. She had a guess at what his next move was gong to be and dodged the hit with grace, rolling to the side and flinging out with her leg in a wide sweep.

* * *

"And so the dance begins anew," Amara remarked, now known as Magma in the ranks of the X-Men, watching the two with interest. Safely ensconced in the observation deck above the room, she grinned as Piotr grunted in disapproval.

"I guess I see how it's a dance," he agreed reluctantly, watching the two figures move back and forth with all the intricate moves of the combat forms Gambit was trying to show her. "He's dangerous," he continued, causing the woman to roll her eyes.

"Yes, we all know that. Which is why he's with Deitra." At the confused look on the Russian's face, she shook her head patiently. "She has a certain talent to rein people in. She's the only one to make Ray behave, after all," she reminded him without any animosity towards her friend over the control she had over Amara's boyfriend. "She'll be the only one Gambit will listen to. She's weak, deprived of her powers – a delicate little flower."

"A damsel in distress," Warren said flatly, striding towards them. He was suited up like the other two – Amara had a suit similar to Warren's, with bright red highlights – and looking grim. "The perfect appeal to his bizarre concept of honor."

"Exactly!" she agreed triumphantly before realizing that neither young man looked happy at the observation. "Oh, just shut up and let's get going," she ordered, pointing a finger towards the door. "And let's see how he does against Ironman," the woman added with a laugh.

* * *

"Looks like we're getting an early snowfall," Deitra remarked, glancing out her window to see tiny snowflakes beginning to float from the clouds above them. "Unless Ororo's really mad?" she checked, but Amara shook her head.

"Nope. It's snow," she agreed with a nod. "How do you feel about snow, anyway?" the young woman asked curiously. Seeing Deitra's confused look, she grinned. "I mean, you're a plant person. So, winter and snow kinda kills them all off."

"They don't really die. Just go to sleep," Deitra corrected her calmly. A few weeks had passed since the incident of Gambit in a hole, and the three mutants had appeared to cool in their anger, leaving him totally alone. And Deitra consequently, as the Cajun was usually at her side.

"I see. Like hibernation," Amara said thoughtfully, considering this before grinning again. "Where'd that damn Cajun go off to, anyway?" she asked, noticing his absence with interest. Before Deitra could answer she continued talking quickly. "Anyway, want to sneak off with me? We can go shopping or some equally-girly activity to blow off some steam."

"That actually sounds like fun," she agreed, to Amara's secret surprise. She rose from the window seat and reached for her jacket. "Want to go now? I need some fun," she added with smirk. Amara blinked before laughing a bit maniacally and grabbing Deitra's arm, dragging her out of the room with all the speed she could muster.

* * *

"I didn't think that place could make such good burgers," Deitra remarked as the two women strolled down the street, taking a break from window shopping to people-watch instead. "Good thing I was wrong," she added with a grin.

"You need to listen to me more," Amara chided her with a shake of her head, her hands filled with bulging shopping bags. Deitra had a few of her own, but nothing nearly as large as her friend's. "Besides – head down," she ordered quickly, causing Deitra to blink.

"Huh?"

"Hand members coming this way. They shouldn't recognize you and I don't look like a mutant, but try to be discreet," her friend muttered, shoving Deitra closer to the edge of the sidewalk to make room for the three aggressive-looking men. In the busy crowd they would have passed unnoticed if not for the fact that Amara accidently bumped one with her bag.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" he grunted, turning around to glare at the girls. His friends paused to see what would happen, losing interest quickly as the strangers were apparently human.

"Maybe if you didn't walk three in a row, you wouldn't get bumped," Amara shot back, her quick temper getting them into trouble again. Deitra groaned, taking her friend's arm and trying to pull her away.

"You should be grateful to us," a second man sneered, causing the blond to snort in disgust.

"Yeah? For what?" she challenged them, Deitra trying to catch her friend's bags as she dropped them to the ground.

"For keeping you people safe from those damn mutant freaks," he continued, and Deitra noticed in amusement his rather-large ears turning red. "Don't you know who we are? We're part of the Hand, making sure those muties don't go getting airs about themselves."

"You really are jackasses," Amara informed them, temper flaring. And as her temper did, so did the flames around her body, causing the men to step back for a second in horror.

"You're one of them!" the third – simply dubbed Pimples by Deitra – accused her, taking a knife from his pocket. "You're not going to get away with insulting humans, you freak!"

"None of that," Deitra remarked calmly, blocking Big Ears from using a long chain by grabbing his wrist and twisting. He dropped the chain with a grunt, but surprised her with a backhand blow that knocked her down.

"Fine! You'll get to suffer with your freak friend here!" he growled, but jumped back when Amara shot a stream of flame their way, forcing them to scatter. The crowd on the sidewalk had begun to scream and panic at seeing Amara, running down the street or into stores for cover.

"That'd be a bad idea, mon ami," Gambit informed them, leaping down from one of the rooftops in front of Deitra, who was getting to her feet and trying to clear her head from the blow. "You should leave before you get hurt. Just a bit of friendly advice," he added snidely.

"What are you doing here?" Deitra hissed, and he shot her a saucy grin over his shoulder.

"Did you think I'd slack off, chère?" he asked innocently, while his bo staff extended and cracked dangerously with kinetic energy. Turning to the Hand members, he narrowed his eyes. "Are you going to leave?" he repeated, Amara hovering in the hair beside him. Her clothes had burned away, flames covering her body instead.

"Hell no!"

"Wrong answer," Gambit sighed, suddenly moving to action. A playing card was flicked into the store beside them, and Deitra grunted as he hauled her over his shoulder and dashed across the street.

"You idiot!" she shrieked, as the storefront exploded seconds later. Big Ears was lying on the ground, apparently dazed and covered with injuries, and looked up as his friend ran after Gambit.

"You bastard," Leader growled, a large hunting knife in his own hand. Gambit knocked the man off his feet with a sweep of his staff, stepping back as Deitra knocked him out with a chop to his neck as. Amara grabbed Pimples by his collar and lifted him into the air, chuckling.

"I'm so sick of you people," she told him calmly, tossing him with a shrug into a tree, where he became entangled in the branches. Big Ears got to his feet and rushed Gambit as well, having learned nothing in the few seconds that had passed, and was finished off with one of the mutant's playing cards. The three watched as he ran off while shouting revenge, leaving his buddies unconscious on the street.

"I think Ororo's going to a bit pissed off about this," Deitra remarked, trying to gather up her bags. "And I'm _so_ not taking the blame, Amara," she added pointedly, glancing up at the female torch. She received a shrug for her words.

"I'll go on ahead – I need some new clothes and some privacy," she added pointedly, shooting a glance at Gambit before flying away, keeping well above anything she might set on fire. Deitra sighed, shaking her head.

"I should have known we can't go out without causing trouble," she groaned, looking up in surprise as Gambit stole some of the larger bags from her.

"That's why you have me, végétale," he told her cheerfully.

* * *

"What is this?" Ororo demanded, greeting them as soon as the pair arrived back at the Institute. Amara was behind her, looking sheepish, while Warren and Piotr were in the background and obviously trying to figure out what was going on.

"What's what?" Deitra asked, following the woman into the lounge. She cringed when she saw what the matter was – the entire fight scene had been captured by some idiot tourist, and the news was only too happy to get their hands on it.

"You are on every news channel," the woman informed them crisply. "Every one. And they are planning to repeat it tonight, to warn the public about the dangerous mutants and their friends," she continued sharply.

"Well, now maybe we'll get some peace and quiet," Gambit chuckled, and winced when Deitra elbowed him sharply in his ribs. "What was that for?" he complained, but actually cringed under the collective stares of the other mutants present.

"None of you are to leave the Institute grounds until this dies down," Ororo ordered. "I do not want to see any of you in town or anywhere near it unless you are flying over it in the Blackbird on a mission. And since that will not be for a long while, Deitra, you are rather worse shape than Amara."

"It's not really fair to blame Deitra," Amara interrupted defensively. "I mean, she doesn't even have powers!"

"She is still a leader of the X-Men and should behave as such," Ororo snapped. "Responsibility for this debacle falls directly onto her shoulders."

"I didn't even start it!" Deitra protested, temper flaring. She would look back on the moment and decide that yes, Gambit and Amara were bad influences on her for sure. "I just defended myself. I wasn't going to leave Amara!"

"As admirable as that may be, speculation is already beginning concerning your identity, considering you did not display any powers," Ororo told her. "Some of the reporters speculate that perhaps you are merely a human who likes mutants, while others think you were kidnapped or otherwise coerced into going with Gambit. Whose exploding of the nearby grocery store did _not_ help matters," she added, sounding madder than they had ever heard her.

"That was to make a point, Madame," he explained patiently, appearing to have regained his confidence.

"You blew up an innocent bystander's livelihood! Several were injured inside!" Ororo shouted, waving her hand at him. "You are to leave the Institute tonight! I have no further use for the problems you bring, monsieur LeBeau," she added, calming down a bit.

"But, Madame, I promised to –"

"And a fine job you have done," she snapped, interrupting his protestations. "_Tonight_." With those words, she turned and stalked from the room, and the mutants cringed as they heard the thunderstorm outside begin to pick up force.

"Well, that could have gone better," Piotr remarked, daring to come into the room and promptly being shoved aside by Amara as she stalked from the room.

"You think?" she snapped over her shoulder, stomping down the hall, apparently to the Danger Room to work off her anger. Deitra was red from embarrassment and anger both, glaring out the window where it was now raining in earnest.

"You okay?" Warren asked, poking his head around the doorframe with a worried expression on his face.

"Fine, except for total humiliation. We didn't start it, so why are we made out to be the bad guys?" she demanded angrily, her tone making the others temporarily grateful she was powerless at the moment.

"That's just how it is right now," Piotr ventured to say, not sure what he thought of the whole thing either. It was more Amara's fault in his mind, but that didn't make Deitra completely innocent, unfortunately.

"I'm going to my room. Anyone who bothers me is asking for bloodshed," she hissed, shoving past Gambit and out the door, ignoring Warren as he tried to follow her upstairs. Piotr remained staring at Gambit, who looking completely unconcerned.

"You could at least pretend to be remorseful," he remarked, crossing his arms over his chest. Gambit only shrugged, smirking at him.

"That'd be a lie, though," he reminded the young man. "Besides, Madame doesn't scare me much. If she was going to barbeque me, she'd have done it by now. I suppose this is where we part ways – can't say I enjoyed it much," Gambit remarked, and Piotr resisted the urge to hurl him through a wall as he strolled past him.

"That was the idea," he muttered.

* * *

"What a lot of crap. I'm grounded like I'm some stupid kid who doesn't know anything," Deitra grumbled to herself, pacing her room in frustration. The sky had grown even darker than before with the setting sun, Ororo's storm showing no signs of abating anytime soon.

"So leave," Gambit suggested, and she whirled around to see him leaning against the wall next to the shut door.

"How the hell did you get in here?" she demanded, glaring at him. A shrug was his only reply for that question and she watched as he strolled toward the window.

"I'm taking off tonight, like the witch suggested. Want to come?" Gambit asked, and she stared at him in shock.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, I said I'd guard you, so if you come with me I'll be able to keep my promise, végétale," he told her, sounding as if he could care less either way. "And if you come with me, you'll be able to get some freedom of you own instead of being tied down to this place."

"I have responsibilities," she informed him stubbornly, but he could tell the idea appealed to her, if only because she was still smarting from Ororo's lecture.

"To what? So you teach – they have others. You're not a fighting member of the X-Men anymore, chère, so what do they care if you decide to take some time off? At least until your powers come back. Live a little, see some of the world without being chased by hooligans," he continued persuasively.

Deitra eyed him suspiciously, met only by the most innocent gaze Gambit could manage. She paused in her pacing, a sign he took to mean he was winning the argument.

"Why should you care?" he demanded, taking a few steps around her. "You've got to break free sometime, végétale. It may as well be now. No one's going to care if you take off."

'Why should you?" she shot back, glancing out the window as she tried to break his gaze.

"Because you're an interesting végétale," he reminded her. "Besides, I promised to make sure Monsieur Metal doesn't get you until your powers return. And Madame is making that promise rather difficult for me to keep at the moment."

"So I should go to convenience you?" Deitra asked in disbelief, almost laughing at the Cajun's audacity. He only shrugged in her general direction, not deigning to reply. The Cajun knew when to stop talking and just let the idea percolate inside her brain, so he just lounged against the windowsill and watched her resume her pacing.

"You're going to wear a hole in that rug," he finally offered, after about fifteen minutes had passed. "Tu avoir la liberté d'agir, chère."

"I am not!" she snapped, but paused mid-step to look around, having been completely lost in thought. "I suppose you're going to say something stupid like, I'll see how the best survive the real streets?" she asked sarcastically. Gambit chuckled at the question, smirking.

"Something like that. You could say I make an art out of staying alive," he admitted, straightening a bit. "Haven't you grown bored of always being the good little pacifist, always getting blamed for everyone else's actions?" he asked, peering at her.

Deitra set her jaw, barely nodding. "Fine, whatever. It can't hurt to take a vacation. Ororo'll understand," she muttered, stalking to her closet. Rummaging through it, she failed to see the smirk that appeared briefly on Gambit's lips. Turning around, she raised an eyebrow at him. "Would you mind?" she hinted.

"Of course," he replied with a bow, opening the window and promptly leaping from it to the ground in a display of agility that made her envious.

"Show-off," she muttered, shutting the blinds and quickly changing into clothes more suitable for travel – her usual boots and fitted jeans, along with a snug cream shirt with a loose turtleneck and sleeves. Pulling on a long black coat, ruefully thinking she matched Gambit on that note, she locked her bedroom door before returning to the window.

"I'll catch you, chère!" he called, appearing to not mind the rain in the least. He held his arms up as if to catch her, and gasped as she landed directly on top of him, feet on his stomach.

"You were saying?" she asked, having landed feet-first with her own learned grace. Looking down at him, she smirked a bit at his look of disbelief.

"I was saying…never mind, get off!" he ordered, rolling in the grass when she moved and pushing himself to his feet. Deitra watched impassively, enjoying him humbled a bit, before turning to gaze at the Institute. "It's not like you'll never come back, végétale," he reminded her, trying to brush himself off and peering at her.

"I know. Never mind, come on before I change my mind," she ordered, striding past him calmly, hair sticking to her neck and face from the rain. "Do you have any idea where we're going, benêt?" she asked suddenly, and groaned as he shrugged his shoulders.

"We'll take the train wherever it goes, how's that?" he suggested, catching up with her easily. The pair made their way off the grounds, unnoticed by any physical eyes. A certain psychic, however, was well aware of their departure.

* * *

* Edited some French again, thanks to Certh. I didn't do too badly, thanks!


	13. Chapter 13

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

An update from yours truly! I'm sure the ending of the last chapter surprised some of you, although almost no one reviewed. But, I managed to finish this after talking with my boyfriend, who likes it. Hope you all enjoy it! If you read it, please review, if only as a courtesy that I believe is lost on now; especially if you add me to your alert or fav lists, please.

* * *

  
"What do you mean, she's _gone_?" Warren demanded, facing Piotr and Amara with unusual anger. Ray had burst into the Danger Room an hour ago, where the three had been training until his announcement that he couldn't find Deitra.

"We can't find either - that means she's not on the grounds," Piotr informed him calmly, folding his arms across his chest as he eyed the other adults in the room. Ororo was still unaware she was missing, as far as they knew, but Bobby and Xi'an had helped look for her as well.

"There's no way Gambit could've kidnapped her," Xi'an said, interrupting Ray's idea. "Emma would have sensed such a disturbance immediately."

"You're not saying she went with him on her _own_?" Ray asked in disbelief, making a disgusted face. Bobby snorted, shaking his head in agreement with Ray's opinion. Warren's jaw dropped at that idea, but Amara stepped forward.

"She did get chewed out pretty badly by Ororo over the whole incident," she admitted, a little ashamed. "I wouldn't be surprised if she did take off, just to get a break from all this craziness. After all, she's not technically a mutant anymore, right?"

"She's still one of us!" Warren argued, hands clenched tightly against his side. "There's no reason for her to leave!"

"I'll discuss this with Ororo and Emma," Xi'an said abruptly, striding from the room. The rest of the team stared after her in surprise.

* * *

"No one is to go after Deitra," Ororo ordered them not long after her meeting with the two other adults. As expected, the team rose up in force to protest, but a raised hand from Emma silenced them long enough for them to explain.

"She went willingly," Emma explained patiently, eyeing them each in turn. "Deitra is no longer a mutant and no longer one of us - no matter what any of you think. She has the freedom to leave when she wishes. Going to bring her back would do more harm than good at the moment."

"But she's with Gambit!" Ray protested, his face red.

"Who will do his best to protect her. He gave his word and his honor is most important to him," the psychic continued. "She'll be perfectly safe with him for now. I suggest we concentrate on our own defenses at the moment."

"What are you talking about? Are the anti-mutant factions getting rowdy?" Piotr asked. Xi'an shook her head, being the one in charge of intelligence-gathering for the team.

"No. The government is shifting again in power, against mutants."

"What a shock," Bobby grumbled, glaring out the window at nothing in particular. "Figures it wouldn't last too long. Are we talking more teams like Stryker's, or what? More laws passed trying to force us to run away?"

"Neither, unfortunately," Xi'an told them, shaking her head. "Unfortunately, the government is leaning towards military strength to subdue any mutants causing trouble for them. And as all mutants are considered a national threat at the moment, that means all of us."

"The government has created a new branch called the Mutant Response Division," Ororo continued. "For now, they remain in the background and inactive except when mutants attack any prominent public figures. But I suggest we all step lightly for the time being."

"You think the government is going to start a war with mutants?" Amara asked in disbelief. "There's no way they'd be that dumb! I mean, come on! It'd be suicide if enough mutants grouped together!"

"Under Magneto, they were a formidable force," Emma reminded them. "Now, imagine if true war breaks out. Factions will form, mutants will fight anyone who attacks them and the government will persecute all of us, regardless of any excuses we may have. A fight for survival will ensue - a fight for power."

"So I repeat, we are all to keep low profiles for the time being," Ororo said firmly. "That also includes X-Men missions. For now, consider the X-Men a reactionary force only." The entire group fell silent and stared at her, shocked by this development.

* * *

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Deitra asked wearily, stretching out in the back of the boxcar with a groan. When Gambit had said train, she should have realized he hadn't meant buying a ticket and traveling legally.

"Nope," he replied cheerfully. "Wherever la train takes us is where we'll go. Sound bien, oui?"

"Non," she shot back, brushing her hair out of her eyes with a dismissive hand. "It'd be nice to at least have some kind of plan, after all."

"Life on the road doesn't require plans, chère," the Cajun reminded her, straightening and leaning to look out the side of the car. "Right now it's all hillside, so I wouldn't recommend jumping just now."

"I could push you," she remarked dryly, past caring. After a restless night doubting her decision, she lacked the energy to argue with the Cajun's bizarre logic and he knew it. Smirking in triumph, the mutant glanced back at her.

"You could try," he corrected her, causing her to roll her eyes. "I'd say we're somewhere reaching the Ohio border right about now, by the way," he continued calmly. "I say we take off next stop to ensure la gendarmerie don't discover our little trip."

"A genius plan, benêt," Deitra sighed.

* * *

"Welcome to Williamsfield township, population..." Deitra read the welcome sign to the town on the border of Ohio in Ashtabula county while Gambit lounged against a tree. They had ditched the boxcar a few miles back and walked to the nearest town in hopes of food - at least, that was Deitra's reason.

"Why are bothering to read that?" Gambit asked, finally moving forward and peering at her. "They're only counting humans, chère. This place isn't as peaceful as it looks."

"It's a little town," she argued. "How do you know what it is and isn't?"

"I have my ways of finding things out, végétale," he shot back with a smirk. "Don't believe me? All right, come and decide for yourself." He began to make his way down the road and Deitra quickly followed, suspicious of what he was up to. Nothing seemed to be wrong as they reached the streets of the town - no one bothered Deitra or Gambit as they strode down what seemed to be the main street of the small town.

"I'm surprised your eyes aren't - never mind," she sighed, noticing Gambit was uncharacteristically wearing sunglasses to protect his eyes from the strangers. "What are you doing?"

"Keeping you out of trouble, chère," he replied, pulling his glasses down over his nose far enough to send a wink her way. "Wouldn't want anyone starting a riot because of moi?"

"Of course not," she agreed with a sigh, shaking her head at his bizarre attempt at a disguise. It was getting dark and the streetlights would have picked up on his strange eyes quickly if not for the sunglasses. They still caught passer-bys' attention, but not enough to warrant any trouble.

The pair was quiet for a few minutes, examining the streets in their own way, when they heard shouting farther down the corner. Exchanging glances, they sprinted towards the sound of trouble and stopped when they saw a young man being chased by several townspeople.

"We warned you not to show your face here again!" a man shouted, and Deitra frowned when she saw the poor mutant. He had a bird-like humanoid figure with a beaked face and bulbous eyes, wing-like arms and talons, and apparently double-jointed knees.

"Please…" he pleaded, and the pair realized he wasn't that old after all.

"Leave him alone!" Deitra shouted, rushing out into the street despite Gambit's attempts to keep her by his side. "He hasn't done anything to you! Stop tormenting him!" The mutant ran over to her, sensing a friend in the midst of all the hostility, and cowered by her side.

"And what do you care about freaks like him?" another woman sneered. Deitra glared at her, unable to believe people could act like these humans were.

"He's a living being!" she informed them hotly, not noticing when Gambit gestured for the boy to come over to him. "Let him live in peace!" The crowd remained silent for a moment before someone hooted.

"She's a mutie too! Get her!"

"C'mon, show your powers, freak!" someone else shouted. Deitra ducked as a rock went flying over her head; she whirled around and realized the boy was gone, Gambit smirking proudly.

"I sent him towards the Institute, chère," he whispered, moving to her side and bending down next to her. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. You just had to go and get yourself in trouble though, didn't you, végétale?"

"How could I not?" she asked indignantly, and winced as a missile hit her in the forearm. Gambit dropped his sunglasses and stepped in front of her, playing cards in hand. He glared at the humans directly in front of him, who shrank back almost immediately.

"That's not a very nice thing to do," he admonished them, the deck beginning to glow with a purplish-kinetic energy. He took a step forward and grinned when they backed up again. "So, you're frightened? That's prudent," he remarked, a card flying from his fingers to land at their feet.

An explosion rocked the street and Deitra felt her arm grabbed in the midst of the confusion caused by the ensuing smoke. "What was that?" she snapped, running to keep up with the Cajun.

"What was what, chère?" he asked innocently, swinging her around a corner and beside him. "Have to make sure the coast is clear," he said absently, ignoring her glare.

"You didn't have to blow the street up!" she hissed, but paused when his gaze met hers.

"What did you want me to do? Try to reason with them like the X-Men would have done? You would only have received more injuries, Deitra," he informed her, surprising her by the use of her actual name. "The only way to deal with people like that is the use of force," he snorted.

"Yeah, but…" She trailed off, unsure of how to argue with his logic. The humans were surely not in the mood to listen to anything she had to say and Gambit certainly had ended the conflict with the least amount of effort.

"You see? We can't live with humans - they'll never accept us," he argued, stepping into a side alley and beginning to stroll down it, obviously expecting her to follow. "Take it from me, chère, the only way for us to survive is to fight back for ourselves. We have to stand up for who we are."

Deitra stared after him for a minute before frowning and jogging to catch up to the man. He sounded so sure of himself as he argued against the pacifist beliefs she had instilled in herself and which the Professor had only reinforced. Recent experiences had begun to shaken her faith in those beliefs, however, and it was gnawing away at her.

* * *

"There's someone here you might want to talk to," Xi'an informed Ororo, appearing in the doorway with her usual silence. The weather witch looked up in surprise, but only put aside the paperwork she was currently focused on.

"Where is Emma?"

"Training with the new X-Man," the martial-artist replied, a bit of sarcasm in her tone. Kitty had returned to the team to further fill the gap left by Deitra and was having to repeat her training in order to work with Ray and Warren efficiently, neither whom seemed to be very willing to work with her at the moment.

"Then who is here?" Ororo asked with her usual patience. She was rewarded a moment later when Beak appeared at Xi'an's side, looking a bit frightened at the surroundings. "Welcome, I am Ororo Munroe," she said, rising to her feet and approaching the young boy. "And you are?"

"Beak. Barnell Bohusk, ma'am," he added quickly, moving a little further back from the woman. "I'm from Williamsfield in Ohio - I was sent here," he continued at an encouraging nod from Xi'an.

"Oh? Who was that?" Ororo sent a questioning and suspicious glance at the other woman, who prudently looked as innocent as possible. The boy hesitated a minute before sighing.

"A man called Gambit. He was with a girl too. I don't know her name," he told the woman, who closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.

"How did you meet him there?" she asked.

"A bunch of people were chasing me. They were trying to make me leave my home," he explained. "They appeared and the girl started yelling at them. They got mad at her, but Gambit made me leave before I saw anything else, so I don't know what happened."

"I am sure it will not be difficult to find out," Ororo muttered to herself, before smiling down at the boy. "Well, we are glad to have you here, Barnell. Xi'an will get someone to help you settle in, so do not worry anymore. You are safe here."

Xi'an exchanged another glance with the woman before leaving with the boy. Ororo barely had time to sit back down before Emma strode in, her usual fearless manner accompanying her.

"I see they're starting trouble already," the blonde remarked, taking a seat gracefully. "Who knows what else they'll start? Getting into fights in some random little town, I wonder…"

"Deitra has always been protective of the children," Ororo informed her sharply. "I believe her actions were only natural. What concerns me is Gambit."

"Of course he does," Emma agreed, staring out the window for a moment. "I can only guess at his intentions in bringing her with him."

"And your guess?" the other woman pressed, gazing sternly at the teacher. Emma smirked briefly before settling herself into a more comfortable position in the chair.

"To convince her pacifism isn't going to work," she said simply. Ororo stared at her, waiting for more, and it wasn't long before Emma complied. "Even if he has no intention on returning to Magnus, Deitra will be a powerful ally to have once her powers return fully," Emma explained. "He wants to have proof that she was wrong all this time."

"And with so much unrest in the country against mutants, that will not be a difficult task," Ororo mused, frowning in concern over Emma's words. The other woman remained silent for a few minutes before getting to her feet, straightening her shirt out.

"Well, I have other things to attend to, so I suggest we simply wait until we receive further news of them," Emma remarked as she strode out of the room. Ororo sighed to herself in resignation before returning to her work.

* * *

"So, they're acting on their own now, are they?" Magnus murmured to himself with a small smirk, having sent Pyro to gather what intelligence he could on the two rogue mutants. The fire manipulator nodded, only reconfirming his previous words.

"And causing a lot trouble too," he added with a frown. "I don't see why we can't just take them out. They won't work with us, after all, so -"

"I have already said there will be no action taken against them!" the master of metal snapped, glaring at his subordinate. "Gambit is playing right into my hand. And she will be too powerful to lose as an ally, once her powers return."

"But she already said she'd stay with the X-Men," Pyro argued, disliking the idea of more mutants joining the group and threatening what authority he held over the others. "And that damn Cajun doesn't seem like he changes his mind easily, either."

"People can change, Pyro," Magneto said, his words accompanied by another small smirk.

* * *

"There hasn't been any word from them?" Amara repeated in amazement, facing off against Emma two weeks later. "I don't believe that!" she said loudly, hands on her hips as she glared at the woman.

"Believe what you like. We've not heard a thing from them - or about them," she added pointedly, her stare as icy as her name. "If I were you, I'd stop considering them a part of the X-Men and viewing them as potential threats."

"I don't give a crap about that damn Gambit!" the young woman informed her hotly. "And Deitra will never be anything but a friend to me, so don't push me, ice queen!"

"Push you? Little girl, I suggest you learn some respect for your elders," Emma said coolly, her eyes narrowing in irritation. "And some common sense, while you're at it."

"She's got plenty," Ray shot back, standing near a corner with his arms folded and crackling dangerously. "Unlike _you_. Don't think we're going to listen to some stupid old hag who decides to show up and appoint herself a position in our team."

Emma briefly considered forcing the young man to permanently believe he was a three year-old little girl and run around with a doll before suppressing the temptation with a sigh. Closing her eyes, she merely stalked past Amara down the hall, disappearing around a corner.

"What a bitch," Ray growled, moving to Amara's side and patting her shoulder lightly, after deactivating the electricity charging his body. "Don't listen to her."

"Of course not!" Amara snapped, glaring after the woman. "She just pisses me _off_! I swear, she acts like they're the enemy or something! I can't blame Deitra for wanting to leave this place!"

"We all know that," he assured her with a shrug. "Doesn't mean we have to like it that she took off with that asshole of a mutant. At least we can be sure he'll keep her safe. If not…" He trailed off, eyes glowing a dangerous blue before Amara smacked his arm.

"Enough. Don't go blowing another hole in the wall," she ordered firmly, looking around. "I thought you were with Warren," she added, and he grinned sheepishly.

"I might have lost him."

"_Lost_ him?" she repeated, jaw dropping open. "You were supposed to be in the Danger Room with him! That's it, where's Piotr?" she demanded, striding off to look for the Russian.

"You know, maybe I'd have more self-confidence if you didn't go running to Piotr to fix my problems all the time!" Ray called after her, jogging to catch up to his girlfriend with a groan that suggested much suffering on his part.


	14. Chapter 14

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Again, another chapter for your enjoyment. Next one will have lots of action in it, I promise. And just on a side note, I loved _Wolverine: Origins_. Except for Gambit. I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen it.

As usual, if you read, please let me know.

* * *

"We need to talk," Warren Worthington Jr. began, striding into the library and finding his son studying another book. Standing in front of the man, he glared down as his son lifted his gaze to meet his father's.

"About what?" he asked calmly, knowing without a doubt what the issue was. His suspicion was confirmed when his father waved a file of papers in his face, which Warren quickly snatched out of the man's hands.

"About _this_," his father growled. "I find out you're funneling money from my account to pay for a private investigator! And what's worse, you're using him to find some _mutant_." The last word escaped the man's mouth as if it was a dirty word, making his son frown.

"Yes, I am," he agreed, standing to stare down his father. "And for your information, the money I'm using is from my private savings and is no longer under your control, father."

"I was wondering why you came back," the elder Warren grumbled, taking a seat with a sigh. "You thought you'd butter me up by deciding to quit that mutant vigilante team, did you? Well, it won't be that easy," he began, but was promptly interrupted.

"I have every intention of returning to the X-Men once I find this mutant," Warren began smoothly, setting the incriminating records on the coffee table. "Until then, I'll stay here like a good little boy and help your public image seem a little more positive." His father gaped at him, at a loss for words, which Warren took every opportunity of. "This is the only thing I'm ever going to ask of you, father. Cut this fund off and I guarantee you'll not only ever see me again, but any children I happen to have will be disinherited, I'm sure, of my choice."

"You're saying you'll cut all ties from this family? You think you mean so much?" his father, but Warren remained firm in the face of this insult.

"You can't have any more heirs - legitimate ones, at least," Warren reminded the man, who clenched his fists at his sides. "So you really have no choice, unless you want to end the Worthington line right here and now. Well?"

The man remained silent for a long minute before rising to his feet and eyeing his son with nothing less than the utter contempt he reserved for mutants. "All right, Warren. We'll do things your way for now. But understand that if I find this mutant first, there will be hell to pay."

"The same thing goes for you father if you find her first," Warren replied, sitting back down and keeping his mask of composure on perfectly. His father stared at him in shock for a second before stalking from the room, leaving Warren alone. His hands began to shake for the first time during the entire confrontation and his head drooped slightly as he reached for the phone. Dialing quickly, he frowned as he received only the man's voicemail in reply.

"Listen, Jesse, you had better find them quick. I'll double the payments as long as you get your ass in gear and start making some progress, understand? Under no circumstances is anyone other than myself to receive any information regarding them." Finished, Warren snapped the cell shut and glowered at it for a moment before returning to book, now restless.

* * *

"It's been four months, for god's sake," Deitra remarked, stretching out on the small cot that passed for a bed in the building that barely passed for a cheap motel. She glanced over at Gambit, who was sliding his sunglasses into his coat and apparently ignoring her.

"And what did you expect, chère?" he asked finally, turning around to eye her in amusement. "Finding a home and settling down somewhere? Not my mode d'opération."

"Well, I didn't expect to start riots in every town and send some kid or another in the direction of the Institute," she argued, pushing herself to a sitting position. "It's like being a wanted outlaw or something. Especially with the Mutant Response Division running around like we're living under military law."

"To them, végétale, we _are_ wanted criminals," Gambit said in disgust, pulling the shades close. "At least, I am, since you can at least pass for a human," he added. Seeing her glare, he backed up nervously. "I mean that in the best possible way, chère! You help us!"

"I have to admit, living life as a riot-starting renegade is still more fun than being trapped in the X-Men. At least I'm useful without my powers out here," she sighed, flopping backwards and wincing as a spring bruised her shoulder blade.

"See? It was a good idea after all," he said encouragingly, taking a seat on his own cot and staring at her. After a moment, she turned her head to blink at him.

"What now?"

"Ever think what you're going to do when you get your powers back?" he asked, sounding actually serious. She blinked again and shrugged, turning over so her back faced him. "I mean, the Cure isn't going to last forever. Are you going to go back to the X-Men after what they did? Or rather, what they're not doing," he added, curling his lip at the thought. It seemed the X-Men had abandoned their self-imposed mission to help mutantkind as newly-constructed Sentinels rounded up mutants, taking them to a place only the military knew about.

"I can't defend them anymore," she sighed, tired of arguing with Gambit over the team. She had spent four insane months with him and they still hadn't reached a compromise regarding her former teammates. She had to admit, she didn't understand why nothing was being done about the MRD, either publicly or privately, and it made her angrier than she thought it would.

"I didn't ask you to, chère," he said lightly, finally closing his eyes as if to go to sleep. "Let me know if anything happens," he added absently, and Deitra flipped around to gape at him.

"You can't just give me first watch without asking!" she protested, poking his elbow. It was hardly effective, however, so she shrugged and pulled a folding chair to the window, peering through the blinds suspiciously. She was sure they were being followed, but whoever it was didn't seem hostile.

Yet. That was always the keyword in her new life.

* * *

Two more months passed in much the same way as the others had, and Deitra found herself being chased by another group of town vigilantes as Gambit herded the siblings they had found being harassed towards the bus stop.

"This is ridiculous," she complained, skidding around a corner and groaning when she found a dead end. Having only a pipe to defend herself with, she braced herself for the mob when a shadowy figure suddenly 'poofed' in front of her.

"Guten abend, mein freund!" he greeted her, golden eyes glowing brightly in the surrounding darkness. "I see you are in a bind - let me help," the mutant offered, grabbing her hand. Deitra dropped the pipe in surprise and barely had time to blink before the world seemed to drop out from under her feet and smoke filled her lungs. A moment seemed like eternity and she gasped for air when they came back into existence.

Looking around, she realized they were on the roof overlooking the crowd, who had paused in confusion at seeing their quarry gone. "What the…who are you?" she stammered, turning to look at her rescuer.

"The name is Nightcrawler, or Kure Wagner, Fräulein." He introduced himself with a thick German accent and a small bow, prehensile tail flicking back and forth behind him. She saw his blue skin was carved with markings and she winced, wondering what had caused it. "May I ask your name?" he continued, ignoring her reaction.

"Deitra. Why did you help me? I'm a human," she began, but he interrupted her by shaking his finger in her direction, a sad look on his face.

"You helped those two children. And many others, if I'm not mistaken," he remarked, glancing down at the people as they began to disperse, Gambit apparently having had the brilliant idea to let them die down instead of causing more trouble.

"So? With all the MRD problems. I could be rounding them up for the military," she argued, crossing her arms stubbornly. He eyed her for a long moment before shaking his head.

"I have to assume that you received the Cure, Fräulein," he remarked sadly. Before she could ask, he answered her question. "I know about you, Deitra. You ran off with Gambit after your powers faded to become somewhat of a vigilante," he told her.

"How'd you know?" she asked, giving up.

"I have my ways," he replied. "So, what made you come to this decision?"

"What made you leave the X-Men? I heard about you," she demanded, eyeing the mutant as if expecting an ambush from her former comrades at any moment.

"I had to go my own way," Kurt said, relaxing now that the noises of the mob had dwindled down to nothing. "I returned when I heard of all this trouble from across the sea. And yet I find no help from the X-Men, it seems."

"Don't ask me why they haven't done anything," she began, and paused when she heard Gambit yelling for her. "I'm up here, benêt!" she yelled, tapping her foot impatiently. "That's why I left. And that was before we started getting rounded up like Jews in world war two," she added darkly.

"These are dark times, I fear," the mutant agreed, sighing heavily. He turned as Gambit swung himself up onto the roof, bowing again. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Herr Gambit," he said pleasantly, earning a mutter from the Cajun.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded, striding over to Deitra. "You can't just disappear!"

"It was Kurt - he rescued me from the alley," she explained calmly, pointing down to prove her point. "I don't know why, though. What are you doing here?" she asked finally, returning her attention to the mutant.

"It is getting harder to travel alone. I thought you might return to the Institute with me, now that we are needed," Kurt explained, but she cut him off rudely.

"Not by them, we're not. If they needed us they would have been acting long ago against this. We're living in a war and they're hiding away in there, doing nothing!" she snapped, shaking off Gambit's hand on her shoulder.

"I know how you feel," Kurt agreed, to their surprise. "But we cannot fight back like this, or else we are no better than they are, don't you see?" he continued, trying to explain it to them. "We must be organized. Otherwise we don't stand a chance against the MRD or anyone else."

"I'll go back when they decide to act like mutants," Deitra argued, shaking her head. "Thank you, Kurt, but I'm afraid your mission was wasted on us. I'm not going back with my tail between my legs, especially when I don't have any powers. They made it clear I wasn't of any use to them without powers," she added bitterly.

"Don't you believe in the Professor's dream?" Kurt tried, but his attempt at reconciliation failed miserably.

"What, peaceful coexistence? We're seeing how peaceful they can coexist with us now, aren't we?" she interrupted, her hackles raised. "We can't coexist with humans, not like this. We're being hunted like animals!"

Kurt hung his head for a moment before sighing, gathering his voluminous coat around him. "I'm sorry our meeting had to end on a sour note, Fräulein," he said, tipping his head to both of them before teleporting out of sight.

"Wow. That was something," Gambit remarked, actually at a loss for words. Deitra eyed him in amusement before shaking her head. Suddenly, she groaned and dropped to her knees, head in her hands. "What's the matter, végétale?" he asked, crouching next to her in concern.

"Just…just a headache. Too many mobs chasing me, I guess," she managed with a shaky smile, lifting her head with a wince. Gambit frowned, but wrapped his arm around her and hauled her to her feet, keeping a grip on her waist.

"C'mon, chère, let's get you some rest," he said, leaping to the ground with cat-like grace and supporting Deitra in the meantime. She only muttered something in reply, arm around his neck for support, and he sighed. "All right, and something to eat too," he agreed, shaking his head.

* * *

"It has been a total of seven months, and you expect me to believe that she shows no signs of returning to the X-Men?" Ororo demanded, eyeing the White Queen suspiciously. The woman across from her shrugged carelessly.

"Not at all. Although it appears the Cure is beginning to wear off, so it may be prudent to send someone to keep an eye on them," Emma began calmly, relaxing in the cushy armchair. "I'm surprised Kurt was able to talk to them, considering how they've avoided us," she continued.

"It is because he surprised them," Ororo said curtly, the mention of Kurt enough to put her in a negative mood. He had indeed returned, questioning the current state of the X-Men. It had eroded Ororo's self-confidence as the leader and she had dismissed his worries as nothing more than exaggerations, when she knew full well the escalating dangers to mutants outside the Institute. He had remained in the Institute and had begun training with the team, against her orders.

"Indeed," the woman murmured, sensing the witch's mood easily enough. Not being in the mood to deal with the issue yet again, she rose and shrugged slightly. "I shall resume contact with an operative I have in the field. He should be able to keep tabs on the two until her powers resurface."

"What then?"

"Weren't you going to reinstate her as a member of the X-Men?" Emma asked, this time honestly surprised. Ororo frowned and shook her head.

"Not after the irresponsible way she is behaving, even without her powers. I cannot allow her to rejoin the X-Men," she said firmly, ignoring Emma's look of disbelief.

"Not even if we need more fighters?" the other woman pressed, but was silenced by Ororo's glare.

"We are not going to fight. We will remain inactive unless absolutely necessary. That is the best path to accomplish the Professor's ideal," Ororo informed her, having repeated this phrase to many of the mutants during the last few months. She was tired of saying it and it was beginning to sound trite, considering what was going on.

"It's your decision, after all," Emma remarked coldly, obviously disappointed with Ororo. She swept from the room after another glance at the woman, shutting the door with a bit more force than absolutely necessary.

* * *

"Not fair! Get me down, Piotr!" Kitty ordered, held aloft by a machine and unable to phase out unless she wanted to become a mutant pancake. He chuckled, looking up at her in amusement.

"Why don't you just phase?" he began, and shouted when another claw grabbed him and swept him up into the air next to the teenager, who glared at him with a disgusted expression.

"Real nice," she remarked.

"Too bad you can't teleport like me, nein?" Kurt asked cheerfully, appearing on the claw above Kitty and grinning. He disappeared in the next moment, reappearing in mid-air. About to land lightly on the ground, he grunted when a shot of green goop pinned him to the ceiling, leaving all three helpless.

"Boy, I thought the great Nightcrawler wouldn't suck so bad," Ray called up to them, he and Amara having been able to survive while Bobby enjoyed himself at the controls to the Danger Room. "C'mon, Kitty, phase and I'll catch you," he added, holding his arms out to prove it. She sighed and obeyed the order, landing on top of the young man and crushing him.

"You're heavier than you look," Amara remarked, shooting fireballs at the claw that tried to capture her as Ray short-circuited the claw trapping Piotr, rolling to the side to avoid dying as the metal Russian dropped to the ground.

"A little help, mein kamerads?" Kurt shouted, unable to the teleport out of the power-nullifying goop designed by Beast to teach the team how to counteract the power beams of the Sentinels that possessed the same power.

"Sure thing, fuzzy!" Amara agreed, bracing herself as Piotr launched her. "Cannonball!" she yelled, grabbing onto the edge of the goo and grinning as it began to melt under her supernova touch. Kurt grabbed her arm as the goo melted away, teleporting them to the ground without further injury.

"Not bad, guys!" Bobby called through the speakers, and they looked up to see him waving through the observation window and grinning. "Want to up the level a few notches?"

"Hell no," Amara retorted, brushing strands of goo off her uniform. "I need a bath after getting that crap in my hair," she groused, stalking off towards the door, followed by a grumbling Kitty.

"Aw, c'mon guys!" the young man pleaded, but winced when Kurt appeared beside him, a grin revealing his fangs.

"I think we've had enough, eismann," he remarked, his tone far too friendly for Bobby's comfort. He quickly backed away from the controls, gesturing towards the door.

"Let's go get something to eat," Bobby suggested, backing towards the door with an appeasing grin towards the newest X-Men. Kurt chuckled before disappearing once more, reappearing next to Ray and catching the young man's arm as he fell over from surprise.

* * *

"Do you think your powers could be returning, chère?" Gambit suggested a few days after meeting Nightcrawler, as she swallowed more aspirin to ward off the frequent headaches. She sent a glare his way, drinking the rest of the water before shaking her head.

"I doubt it," she muttered, rubbing the side of her head. "I'm not sensing anything odd. Just these headaches."

"As long as you don't become suddenly violent," he remarked dryly, recalling his own return to power with a hidden wince. "So, why are we sticking around here anyway?" he continued. "Not waiting for Monsieur Bleu?" he asked, wondering if she was reconsidering joining the X-Men once more.

Deitra shook her head, ignoring the suggestive tone. "No, I'm not," she retorted. "I just need a few days of peace and quiet for once to get rid of this migraine. We've already done enough damage here anyway, no one will be looking for us."

"You've got a point there," he agreed, lounging back on the bed and eyeing the young woman. During their time together the Cajun had tried to take their relationship to the - obvious to him - next step, but Deitra had rebuffed him with everything excepting her powers, only because she didn't have them. He was disappointed, but never gave up trying. One had to maintain their reputation, after all.

She only rolled her eyes in reply before slouching in the chair near the small window, peering between the blinds to see what was going on in the world outside - the human world, she privately called it.

* * *

Translations: Kurt greets them with, "Good evening, my friends!" Deitra is "young lady," the team is "my comrades," and Bobby is "iceman."


	15. Chapter 15

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

First of all, I'm not going by the _Origins_ movie, so I don't have Wraith dead. Besides, there are several mutants that carried that name, so take your pic. Secondly, I edited Deitra's main picture on my profile for all of you to see, and added one of her newest power as well. I hope you enjoy it! My boyfriend, Alex (Novel Novice) helped me out with battle scene.

* * *

"Wraith is reporting something quite disturbing," Ororo informed Emma several days later. The pale woman didn't seem surprised, just inspected her nails as she waited for the woman to continue. "Apparently, the MRD believes there to be a community of Morlocks living under the streets where Deitra and Remy are currently located," she revealed. Emma's head went up at this news, frowning.

"Excuse me? _Are_ there Morlocks?" she demanded, but Ororo shook her head.

"As far as Wraith can determine, no. Either the MRD is working false information, or they are after those two," the woman continued. "I've instructed him to remain close to them and get them back to the Institute if they are attacked."

"How considerate of you," Emma said dryly. "And what will you do if they return here?" she asked, returning to buffing her nails with the file she kept in her pocket.

"Remy will be removed from the Institute. As for Deitra, Warren has offered to find her a place until we decide what to do with her," Ororo told her, sighing. "I also found out Warren has a private investigator trailing them, a mutant named Jesse Aaronson, Bedlam. I told him to recall the man, which I believe he did. There is no need to involve any more people in this debacle," she said firmly.

"Well, let me know if anything else occurs. I have a class to get to, after all," Emma informed the woman shortly. The situation with Remy and Deitra concerned her on several levels, mostly because she was well-aware that Deitra's power would resurface soon. Knowing how powerful the young woman was, that was not something to look forward to, in her opinion.

* * *

"We have problems, chère," Gambit informed her, as they strolled down the sidewalk. It was early in the morning, with not many people around, so she didn't initially see what the problem was. Until she glanced down the street ahead of them.

"Oh crap," she groaned. MRD troops were out in force, heading down the street in a long line, preventing anyone from passing them. "Are they here for us?" she demanded, as he dragged her into an alley.

"I don't know, but either way they're trouble," he muttered, charging a few cards. "I didn't hear anything about the MRD moving troops like this," he continued, mostly to himself. Deitra suddenly groaned, crouching down on the pavement. "What's the matter?" he asked in alarm, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"My head really hurts," she managed, and he saw a climbing vine on the wall behind them begin to shoot up and dig its way into the bricks, loosening them.

_"Merde,"_ he thought, lifting the young woman to her feet. Supporting her weight, he began to head further down the alley when a voice shouted out to them.

"Hey, you! Stop right there!" one of the MRD officers ordered. Gambit saw a gun pointed in their direction out of the corner of his eye, so he raised his free hand carefully.

"Hold on their, monsieur," he said lightly. "My friend here is sick, I'm taking her to a doctor," he added, but the man snorted.

"I can see her hair from here. Turn around and come out into the open," the man ordered, gesturing with his weapon. Gambit's eyes narrowed dangerously, but Deitra was in no condition to be put into battle at the moment.

"All right, just give me a minute," he agreed, turning around slowly. Deitra groaned into his shoulder and he supported her a bit more, his free hand now going around her waist despite the man's warning. He managed to get them back onto the street of corner before seeing the MRD forces had now scattered, groups making their way down streets as they came to it.

"Now get on the ground," the MRD man ordered, waving his gun some more.

_"Idiot,"_ Gambit thought, going obediently to his knees. After another second, he surprised the man by grabbing Deitra up in his arms and rolling to the side, ending up in the middle of the street.

"Remy…I think I'm going to be sick," Deitra whispered, kneeling on the ground with her hands wrapped around her waist.

"Now's not really a good time, chère," he informed her, getting to his feet and extending his bo staff to its full length. The MRD agent rushed at the mutant and Gambit readied for the attack, charging his staff - when the man suddenly disappeared.

"Thought you might need some help," a black man informed them, appearing at Gambit's side with a bright grin. "Name's Wraith, I got sent to help you two if these bozos tried anything," he added, glancing back at Deitra. "Is she all right?"

"Not really," the mutant replied testily. They were being surrounded now that one of the men had gone missing and the odds weren't in their favor, especially with Deitra out of commission. "Any ideas now, inconnu?" he asked the man.

"Not really. I can teleport you two out of here," he suggested, but jumped when Deitra suddenly began to scream behind them. Gambit's feet lifted off the ground as well before he regained his senses, but when he saw her he didn't go to see what was wrong - instead, he grabbed Wraith's elbow and pulled.

"We've got to get away from her!" he urged the man. "Her powers are going to return any second! And if her level is anything to judge by, we're in serious danger, mon ami," he added. Wraith's eyes widened, but he followed the Cajun down into the alley.

"It don't feel right, leaving her by herself," he argued, as the MRD agents began to encircle Deitra, who remained doubled-over on the street.

"Trust me, she'll be fine," Gambit assured, bo staff charged just in case.

Deitra felt as though her head was going to split in two. The pain only continued to increase, tearing through her body as if intent on destroying her. Something faint was in the back of all the pain, something familiar that seemed to call to her.

_"They're going to destroy us,"_ something warned her. She managed to raise her head and gasped when she saw the MRD agents closing in on her, Gambit nowhere to be seen. Something snapped inside of her and it was the last thing she remembered.

* * *

"Oh my god," Wraith managed, ducking as a piece of pavement went flying over his head. The two men stared as Deitra got to her feet. That wasn't the amazing thing; the gigantic vines and tree roots uprooting the street and pavement was. Crumbling pavement and cement was sent flying into the ranks of the MRD, crushing a few and injuring others. One man limped away, holding his arm and whimpering in pain, while another agent lay on the ground, immobile.

"Mon Dieu," Gambit agreed faintly, and whirled around when he heard cracking behind them. "Look out!" he shouted, rolling to the side as a piece of the wall came crashing down towards them. The vines and roots were working their way up the surrounding buildings, destroying foundations and crumbling walls in a matter of minutes.

The MRD agents took several minutes to recover their bearings, not having expected an attack of this sort from an unknown mutant, but they had soon reformed. "Shoot to kill!" an officer shouted, waving his gun in the air as he gave the order. The agents aimed their weapons, but were delayed when a vine snaked up a nearby fire escape. The metal was pulled from the wall with agonizing groans; bolts were sent flying into the air and into the ranks of the agents, stripped from the brick and cement with easy force, sending debris and the metal structure down onto nearby men. They quickly recovered, however, and raised their guns once more.

"Damn it!" Gambit swore, moving forward, but was pushed back by a vine in the next instant. A thick barrier of vines engulfed Deitra as the bullets hailed down on her, causing the projectiles to embed themselves in the vines instead of the woman. The shield was growing at an amazing rate, pushing the bullets back out almost as soon as they entrenched themselves; some fell to the ground with inaudible 'clinks', while others exited with more force and flew back at the agents, sailing into a few vests in the process. The two men stared in amazement as the rest of the plants continued their destruction of the area.

"Pretty impressive for someone who's a pacifist," Wraith murmured. Gambit only nodded his agreement and moved to the side as another piece of debris fell to the ground beside them. "We had best be moving, friend," the man advised him, grabbing his elbow. "It's too dangerous around here."

"I'm not leaving her!" Gambit shot back, the words surprising him as they came out of his mouth. Wraith blinked in surprise before shaking his head, accepting their supposed fate. The MRD agents tightened their circle despite casualties and it didn't appear there was any way for Deitra to escape capture. Suddenly, they heard a scream from inside the cocoon of vines that seemed to rip the plants apart; the destruction paused, vines and roots quivering above the rooftops in anticipation, sensing something the humans and mutants couldn't.

_

* * *

_

_"This is what I am,"_ a voice assured the young woman. The voice began to consume her thoughts, spreading through her head with every second that passed like a disease. She shook her head, trying to get rid of it, but it was no use.

"_No_!" Deitra screamed, rejecting the idea with every fiber of her being. The force of her energy blasted away her shield, leaving it in pieces around her. She felt a stranger energy moving through her body and her awareness of her surroundings suddenly escalated into an unbearable sensation. She covered her ears in an effort to stop it, paying no attention to the MRD agents moving in.

"Watch out!" Gambit shouted, lunging forward as one man raised his weapon. Wraith held him back and they winced as the shot echoed in the sudden silence. The bullet pierced Deitra's left arm and she looked down at the blood in curious disinterest. She felt the wound gingerly before looking at the humans, narrowing her eyes.

"That's not good," Wraith managed, as she suddenly doubled over and began to glow a strange green color. The humans were too stunned to act and only watched as the mutant began a strange transformation before their eyes.

Her legs dissolved into numerous tree roots, burying themselves into the pavement beneath her as soon as they grew. Vines and leaves conveniently covered her modesty and her hair grew even longer, changing back into its original brown color. Branches began to grow from her hair as if she was a tree and her hands extended into something resembling branches themselves.

"Oh fuck," Gambit whispered, too shocked to even use his native French. Wraith's jaw was hanging open, as was most of the humans present as the transformation slowed, and slowly stopped. Deitra observed them, unconcerned, and appeared to be someone else altogether. She glanced over at the two mutants before returning her attention to the agents.

Her mouth moved as if she was speaking to them, but her voice was muted and they heard nothing. If it was a warning, it made little difference before a thick tree root swooped down from its hovering height and plowed into the MRD ranks, bashing most of them to the ground. The ones who were left standing quickly dropped to the ground in self-preservation, their weapons landing noisily on the broken pavement.

"Chère!" Gambit called, as the figure before them suddenly wavered and reverted to her human form, clothes gone. He caught her as she collapsed, unconscious from the strain her emerging powers had put on her body.

"Cover her, for the love of God," Wraith ordered, running over to them and handing Gambit his coat. The Cajun took it and wrapped the woman in it before cradling her in his arms gently. The two men looked around as the surviving MRD agents retrieved their weapons, realizing the threat was gone for now.

"Now what?" Gambit asked out of the corner of his mouth. The black man shrugged. gripping Gambit's elbow. "And I'd appreciate it if you stopped touching me, monsieur," he added.

"I'll remember that later," the man retorted, going back-to-back with Gambit as the agents drew closer. "Had enough fun for today, frenchy?"

"I resent that," the Cajun began, but was interrupted when a familiar insane battle yell reached their ears. The agents hesitated again, not sure what was going on _this_ time, and turned a clawed figure barreled towards them.

"Well, I'll be damned!" Wraith said in awe, as Wolverine tore through several agents with animal-like ease. Reaching the other mutants, he paused to catch his breath.

"Glad to see me?" he asked. He looked around and shook his head. "Looks like I missed all the fun after all," he added, turning to the mutants with a bemused expression, cocking an eyebrow for emphasis.

"Yep, missed the party all right. What're you doing here, anyway?" the teleporter demanded, but the man shrugged the question away.

"We can talk later. Get these two out of here. I'll meet you at the Institute soon enough," Wolverine ordered, grinning as he waved his claws at the humans, who visibly flinched. Wraith nodded, turning to face Gambit.

"Get ready."

"For what?" the Cajun demanded, but the man didn't answer. Before anyone could blink, the three mutants disappeared.

* * *

"I see you returned safely," Emma remarked, meeting Wolverine in the basement of the Institute a few hours later. Wraith followed, having had to go get the mutant when he hadn't contacted them for a pick-up.

"Of course," Logan growled, clenching his fists at his sides. The psychic had contacted him several days ago via Cerebro, wanting him to return the two stray mutants to the Institute. He had been less-than-thrilled about the idea, but she had goaded him into by suggesting he simply wasn't able to fight a few MRD flunkies. "What about the kids?" he asked, looking around for the two mutants.

"Ororo is as yet unaware of their return and I would like to keep it that way for the time being," the woman informed him shortly, hands behind her back. Logan's eyes narrowed, a gesture which she easily noticed. "Oh, I'm not up to anything sinister," she assured him. "However, Ororo is determined the young woman is to be banished from the Institute for actions. I, however, see the potential value of her remaining with the X-Men."

"You want to turn the X-Men into a fighting force again," the man realized after a few seconds of silence. Wraith remained against the wall, hands crossed over his chest as he listened to a conversation he had already heard. Emma chuckled.

"More like a defensive force for now," she agreed. "There are so many young mutants being captured and subjected to imprisonment and unspeakable torture, and all because that woman thinks complete pacifism was Xavier's dream!" she spat out, obviously disgusted with Ororo. "Xavier would never have sat by and let things get this bad!"

"Charles wouldn't want the X-Men to start a war, either," Logan retorted. She eyed him as if amused before shaking her head.

"We didn't start this, the government did. These times are unacceptable, Logan, you know that as well as I do. That's why you were traveling to the Institute to begin with, correct?" she reminded him with a smirk. "You wanted to convince her to return the X-Men to a force to be reckoned with, like Kurt tried. And failed, I might add," she continued with a derisive sniff. "Not that it was completely his fault. The woman is so blind," she muttered.

"How are the kids?" Logan repeated, growing impatient with the woman's private musings. She looked up and shrugged.

"Deitra is being contained for the time being. She is still unconscious - I expect her to remain in that state for at least another day, taking into account how much energy she expended. Apparently she transformed into a sort of plant," she added. "Quite an interested mutation. Xavier was certainly correct about her potential. She's grown even more powerful with this jump in abilities."

"She tore up two city blocks on her own," Logan agreed reluctantly, having seen the destruction the mutant had caused before his arrival.

"And Remy is keeping an eye on her. And Piotr is keep an eye on _him_, so I wouldn't worry too much about them for the time being," Emma continued. Logan's eyes narrowed, his gut telling him something was off about the whole thing, but he couldn't see what yet.

"And you need me why?" he demanded. Not that he had anything in particular to do, but dealing with the White Queen was irritating him to no end. She smiled at him, condescension dripping from every word she spoke.

"You're one of the original X-Men, Logan. Xavier would want you to help lead this team," she informed him. "If Ororo refuses to accept what's staring her in the face, I intend to take any who will come with me and create a new X-Men team, if necessary. I hope it doesn't come down to that, of course," she added absently. Logan's eyes widened in surprise at this admission.

_"Is that what Charles would want?"_ he thought.

* * *

"At least you brought her back alive," Piotr remarked dryly, seated near the door to the recovery room. Remy remained in a crouch near the bed, looking a little worse for wear. Deitra was stretched out in the bed, dressed in a white pajama set. The entire room reminded the Cajun of a hospital room - white and sterile.

He made a face and presented a gesture to the Russian that caused the other man to frown. "You have no idea how hard it was, mon ami," he informed the man dryly, running a hand through his hair and wincing. _"I could use a shower and shave,"_ he thought.

"Any idea why the MRD showed up in that town?" the Russian continued, trying to pry any information he could out of the other man. "Emma's not sure why yet, but I guarantee she'll find out. And if you had anything to do with it, you'd better start praying now."

"I didn't, I can assure you," Gambit shot back, insulted at the idea. "I don't know what they were doing there either." He shrugged. "Don't really matter now, does it?"

"Of course it does," Piotr said shortly, but refused to add anything. The Cajun grumbled to himself before getting to his feet and looking around. "What now?" the giant demanded in aggravation.

"I could use a shower, if you don't mind," the other man replied calmly, grimacing.

* * *

In order: _merde_ is shit; _inconnu_ is stranger. Enjoy!


	16. Chapter 16

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Well, here's another update. Kind of lacking any action, but I think they all deserve a break after that last chapter. Let me know what you think!

* * *

"Hey, you look like you're doing better," Piotr remarked, as Deitra sat up and rubbed the back of her head with a wince. She had woken up three days ago and had spoken to Emma, having been forced to agree with the woman about the situation.

"Yeah, just kind of sore," she admitted with a reproachful laugh. "Ororo still doesn't know I'm here?" she asked in surprise, having expected the weather witch to storm in - no pun intended - soon after she had arrived at the mansion.

"No, I think Emma's blocking it from her," the Russian had to guess with a shrug. "She will soon enough, once you heal up some more."

"It's not like I'm injured - I know, I know!" Deitra interrupted him as he started to lecture her again, waving a hand in his direction. "I get it already! I expended too much energy transforming. As well as stressing any X-genes that were still forming in my cells," she added with a sigh.

"Good, you get it. Here, get dressed and we'll go upstairs. I don't think Ororo's here right now," Piotr told her, handing her some of her old clothes. She took them gratefully and waited for him to leave before swinging her legs over the side of the bed and getting to her feet a bit unsteadily. She changed quickly from the gown to boots, flared jeans, and a gray sweatshirt.

"No one else knows you're here yet," Piotr reminded her, coming back in as she was brushing her hair out. She glanced up with a surprised look.

"No one?"

"Besides who you've seen, no," he repeated firmly. "Emma felt it was for the best."

"And what else do you think about what Emma says?" Deitra asked suddenly, pacing around a bit to stretch her legs out. Piotr blinked and she clarified. "About creating a new X-Men force if Ororo refuses to return us to active duty. Would you do it?"

"Depends on the situation," Piotr replied thoughtfully. "And about duty…" She noticed his pause and narrowed her eyes.

"What haven't I been told?" she demanded.

"You're not returning to the X-Men," he finally said. She blinked, too surprised to say anything for a few seconds, before blinking again.

"What?"

"Ororo isn't going to let you return to the X-Men. She's got it in her head you're not fit to fight as a X-Men anymore," he told her, obviously uncomfortable at having to be the person to tell her this. Deitra glared at nothing in particular for a moment before straightening her shoulders.

"All right then. I guess I have to consider Emma's offer then more carefully, if that's how it is," she said, before turning towards the door. "Are you coming? I'm starving for some real food," she hinted, glancing around to stare at the Russian impatiently.

* * *

"Good to see you up again, chère," Remy remarked, sitting on a kitchen stool with a beer in hand. Logan was across the room, keeping a suspicious eye on the Cajun. "Feelin' better?" he continued, emptying more of the bottle.

"Yeah, I'm starving," she replied with a sigh, bending over to rummage through the refrigerator. She straightened, a beer in one hand and a sandwich in the other.

"You shouldn't be drinking that on an empty stomach," Logan began, but she snorted.

"You're one to talk, Logan. Besides, I need a drink," she retorted, taking a seat and stretching the bottle out to Piotr. "Cap, please?" she ordered. He popped it open for her before sitting back down, leaving Logan the only one standing.

Silence reigned for a few minutes as she inhaled her food, the beer quickly following the fate of the sandwich. "Where's Emma?" Deitra asked, swallowing the last of it and looking around pointedly for another.

"Out with Ororo. Scouting for more mutants on the run, I think," Logan replied curtly, generously handing her another. "The furball's doing the same thing in a few countries, as far as I could understand," he added with a grunt, indicating this was too much work at the moment.

"So you're babysitting?" Deitra asked in disbelief.

"With moi," Remy added, raising a hand as if volunteering for duty. She stared at them for a second before busting out laughing, holding her side until she calmed down. "What's so funny?" he demanded, offended.

"You two as babysitters. You've got to be the worst influences in the state," she informed them with a final gasp of laughter, shaking her head. "Good God, that's all these kids need. Anyway, when _is_ Ororo going to find out I'm here?" she began, and then trailed into silence as she saw the sky outside darken dangerously.

"Now?" Piotr guessed, taking a step back as Ororo strode in, eyes white in anger. Emma raced in after her, frowning and looking as if they had just been in an argument. Xi'an was nowhere to be found, having taken a few weeks off for a much-needed rest and meditation in Japan.

"What do you think you are doing here?" the witch demanded coldly, her tone causing Deitra to wince. Remy was at her side in an instant, while Logan moved from the counter closer to the women.

"Calm down, Ororo. She needed to heal up -"

"I have already heard that from Emma. I wish to hear why Deitra has the gall to step one foot in this place after what she has done," Ororo interrupted him coolly.

"After what I've done?" Deitra repeated incredulously. "You mean what _you_ should have been doing, keeping mutants safe? Stopping the MRD from taking them and doing God-knows-what to them? Is that what you mean?"

"You acted as a vigilante and terrorist," the woman informed her.

"I acted like an X-Men should!"

"This isn't going to be settled like this," Emma interrupted, pushing between the two women with a frown. "Ororo, we need to sit down and discuss this."

"There is nothing to be discussed," Ororo cut in, her tone cold. "I want you out of the Institute as soon as humanly possible. You are not to speak to any of the students and you will most certainly not be rejoining the X-Men," she informed Deitra.

"Fine then," Deitra spat, shaking Piotr's hand from her arm. "There isn't any X-Men to rejoin, as far as I can see," she added shortly, striding from the room and down the hall to the elevator. She didn't have a plan, but was too angry to stay there any longer.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Warren asked in shock, passing by Deitra's old room and seeing her packing a suitcase. She looked up in surprise, appearing anything but happy at the moment.

"I'm only here to get my things. I'm leaving," she told him shortly, shoving a pair of jeans into the suitcase angrily.

"But you just got back…" he began, but realized what must have happened. Ororo hadn't kept her feelings regarding Deitra and Remy from the rest of the team, after all. "What about Gambit?" he asked suspiciously. "Are you running off with him again?"

"Nope. I've got some things to do on my own, monsieur," Remy informed him, appearing in the doorframe as if he had been there the entire time. "I've had enough drama to last me a good long while, chère," he added over Warren's shoulder. "I'll be in touch, count on it," he continued, before striding down the hall, moving quickly as if with another destination already in mind.

Deitra shrugged, frowning at nothing in particular. Warren took a few steps closer and put his hand tentatively on her shoulder, not wanting to be strangled by a vine. "Don't you have anywhere to go?" he asked.

"No. I'll find somewhere," she replied.

"I've got a place in the country, outside of Somers," he suggested. "It's just a country home my family doesn't really use in the woods. You can go there?"

"I don't think so. If your father finds me I'm nothing but MRD bait," she snapped, slamming the suitcase shut and sitting on it to snap it shut. "Damn thing," she grumbled.

"I was thinking of taking a vacation anyway. I'll take you," Warren suggested, remembering his promise to his father anyway. "I think we all need some time to cool off," he continued, taking the baggage from her firmly.

Deitra stared up at him suspiciously for a moment before sighing and running a hand through her hair, suddenly looking tired. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch. It's been a confusing few days," she apologized finally, or the closest she was going to come to it.

"We all go through something like that," he agreed, relieved to see her safe but not brave enough to tell her that. "I'll go get my car, if you want to wait here," he suggested, as they stopped in the main foyer. Classes were in, so the chances of her running into a student were slim. She nodded.

"All right, hurry up," she ordered, hands on her hips. Warren disappeared to the garage with a nod and she jumped when someone grabbed her from behind. "Ah!"

"Hey, it's just me," Ray protested, sounding insulted.

"You scared me!"

"I know," he said with a grin. "So, where're you taking off to?" he asked, having guessed that was what was going to happen once Ororo discovered she was there.

"Some country house of Warren's," she said. "Outside Somers, he said, if you want visit."

"Nah, Amara and I are going to visit her family for a while," he told her. "Things are getting too ridiculous around here for us. We're useless here. I heard Emma's planning something, so I'd keep an eye out for her," he added in whisper.

"Since when is the White Queen _not_ planning something?" she asked with a derisive snort, leaning against the wall. "What about the others?" she asked, lowering her voice.

"Bobby and Rogue are taking off with Piotr somewhere. We're all leaving. It's the end of the X-Men," he told her, sounding as if it was merely a foregone conclusion to the long saga of the team. Deitra sighed, but he shook his head and patted her on the shoulder.

"Hey, it's not your fault. Ororo wouldn't have behaved any differently if you were here. Piotr tried to talk her out of putting on stand-down, but she wouldn't listen," he assured her. "And the fact that Logan and Wraith are here makes me think something big's going on."

"Have fun. I'm swearing off anymore teams," she informed him, rubbing the back of her head.

"Until the rest of us decide we've been bored long enough," Ray said, a suggestive grin on his face that made her pause and stare at him suspiciously. "I'm not getting at anything," he added quickly, cutting her off.

"Just let me know before you decide to do anything stupid," she warned him with a sigh. "I am going to have a nice, long vacation and figure out where to go now. It's not like I blend in, so I'm glad Warren's willing to help out," she added, pausing as Ray began to snicker. "What's your problem?" she demanded.

"God, you're clueless!" he sputtered, trying to speak between laughing. Deitra's blank look only amused him further and he shook his head. "Warren's got the hots for you, if you haven't noticed," he finally managed clearly.

Deitra's eyes widened even as she felt herself growing hot. "He does not!" she argued defensively, but it was useless to talk to Ray at this point, her denial only adding proverbial fuel on the fire.

"What's his problem?" Warren asked curiously, returning and eyeing Ray nervously. "The car's out front - I'll get that," he added, reaching for her suitcase. She clutched it desperately, though, to his confusion.

"I'll get it. And I will speak to _you_ later," she added to Ray, glaring at him. He moved over to let them out of the room and waved through his laughing, which followed them down the hallway all the way to the foyer.

"I didn't think he'd had a lot of sugar, but maybe Amara fed him something," Warren said thoughtfully, his speaking of Ray as if he was some strange creature causing Deitra to giggle. "What?" he asked, becoming way too confused at this point.

"Nothing, nothing," she said quickly, aware her cheeks were still flushed. She flung her suitcase in the backseat, getting in the two-door convertible. "How far away is this place?" she asked, as Warren took his seat and started the engine.

"About an hour or so, if I take the back roads. You should like the place, it's surrounded by forest," he told her, glancing sideways to see if she was interested or not. When she looked at him, he continued. "It's kind of big, but there's plenty of room there," he continued, trying to make conversation.

"As long as it's quiet, I don't care if I'm sleeping in dirt," she assured him, stretching out a bit. "That's all I ask. My brain feels like it's knots," she complained, noticing he was unable to suppress a laugh. "Thanks for the sympathy," she said dryly.

"It wasn't that. It was your face," he admitted, shaking his head to stop himself from laughing anymore. Deitra noticed he had modified the back of the seat to give his wings more room and wondered how his father felt about that. He noticed her face and shrugged. "I don't drive without the harness much," he said without elaboration.

"Oh. Sorry," she began, but he grinned.

"Not a problem. At least now I can talk to you without dozens of kids rushing me all at once," he continued teasingly. "I think you made them do."

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you my other power is to control psychotic little children," she agreed with a laugh, relaxing a bit with the young man than she had for weeks. They fell silent for a bit until she thought of something. "Gambit said someone was following us about a month ago," she started.

"That would have been the guy I hired," he admitted sheepishly. Before she could ask anything else he admitted hiring a private investigator to find the two runaways. "I wasn't planning on staying with the X-Men anyway, so agreeing to dad's deal wasn't a problem," he assured her, trying to brush it off as nothing.

"That wasn't really fair of me, I guess," she sighed, a bit embarrassed by the trouble she had caused. It was easy to when she wasn't getting yelled at by Ororo. "Thanks, Warren."

"For what?" he asked in surprise, blue eyes widening. "I didn't do much, except…"

"What?"

"I think dad might have forced the guy to tell him where you two were." The two mutants fell silent at what this implicated until Deitra was forced to say it aloud.

"So, you think your dad told the MRD where I was?"

Warren nodded sheepishly, turning scarlet in humiliation. He jumped when Deitra patted the crook of his elbow and glanced over at her curiously. "You don't blame me?"

"Why would I?" she asked, her turn to be surprised. "You didn't do it, after all. And it was sort of fun, even if I can't remember most of it," she admitted with a wry chuckle. Warren shook his head, giving up all hope of understanding women, before returning his attention to the road ahead of them.

* * *

"Wow, you really know how to understate a building," Deitra informed him as they pulled up the estate - it was more like a country manor than anything else, save there were forests instead of extensive gardens.

Warren didn't make a reply and instead parked the car several yards away, getting out to get her bags. She followed, examining the plant-life around them and stretching out bits of herself to say hello. The winged mutant swallowed a yelp when a huge pine bent almost halfway to greet her.

"I wish you'd warn me before doing stuff like that," he managed, recovering from the shock and adjusting his wings self-consciously. Deitra blinked, then grinned.

"Sorry. I didn't know it was going to do that until it did," she admitted, wrestling with him for her suitcase and giving up when he stared her down. Following him through the door, she realized the house was even bigger inside than it looked from the outside and sighed. "I'm going to get lost," she said. He laughed at that and shook his head.

"I can draw you a map if you want," he offered, leading her up the nearest flight of stairs. "Here, your rooms can be the ones closest to the stairs," he told her with a grin, opening the door to a grand bedroom, complete with a private bathroom.

"Wow," she said again, awed once more as she surveyed the room. Not wanting to annoy Warren with her slack-jawed gaping, she turned with a shrug. "So, what're we going to eat?" she asked suddenly, catching him off-guard. Reading his expression correctly, she groaned. "Isn't there food in here?" she demanded.

"What? Oh, yeah. It was just that I hope you don't want me to cook," he warned her, heading back down the stairs and for the kitchen. She sighed, peering in the cabinets and refrigerator quickly.

"We're at an impasse then, because I can't cook either. I can boil water, so maybe this stuff?" she suggested, holding up a box of dry macaroni and canned tomato sauce.

"I don't think I have a choice," Warren sighed. She poked his side indignantly, turning the burner on.

"Oh, please, it's not that bad. You're just spoiled," she told him, crouching down in an effort to find a pot amidst all the cutlery. His muttered remark went unheard when several pans fell on her and he moved over quickly, a worried expression on his face.

"Are you all right?" he asked, helping her straighten up and peering at her in concern. She caught his glance and snickered.

"I'm fine. Just a few bumps, I'm used to it," she assured him, kicking one pan absently. "I found a pot, though," she added triumphantly, handing one to him. "Fill it up, with water," she ordered, suddenly feeling it necessary to clarify instructions. He sniffed, but did as told. Deitra bent again to put everything back and shook her head in amusement.

_"I wonder how long it'll take his dad to find us?"_ she wondered, keeping the thought private for the time being.


	17. Chapter 17

_Summary; Warning; Disclaimer:_ See first chapter.

We have to come to the end, mien freunds! The last chapter for this saga, but not the last of it by far. I decided I'm going to split this up a little, so if you have suggestions for a sequel title, as there will most assuredly be one, please let me know. Thank you all so much for your support, I hope this lives up to the expectations you have all set for me!

_

* * *

_

_"I can't believe I'm back here,"_ Remy thought grimly, finding himself outside of Belladonna's residence near New Orleans. The mutant was under strict orders from the White Queen - if he didn't want to spend the rest of his life thinking he was a three year-old girl, he was to go to his former wife, on his knees if necessary, and speak to her about organizing another mutant faction in partnership with the White Queen to fight against the MRD. _"I dunno how Bell's gonna take starting a vigilante group against the government,"_ he told himself with a grimace as he rang the bell. The woman was no longer a mutant, having lost her powers, but wielded a great deal of power among the less-savory characters throughout the world and those in power; this alone made her a candidate for leadership among the vigilantes, in the White Queen's eyes.

It was a luxurious Southern mansion near the swamp, looking like it had seen better days but retaining a stately grace about it. It was obviously lived in and Remy shifted restlessly as he waited for an answer. He hoped she wasn't planning to kill him or anything like that, but was prepared for anything in this case. After several long minutes, he pounded on the door, freezing when it swung open.

"Remy, you scoundrel, you're back," she drawled, blond hair piled on top of her head and dressed in a gown that looked to be better suited at a ball than a swamp. "I assume you want something, of course. You're not one for pleasure visits," she continued, eyeing him with suspicion in her bright blue eyes.

"Right on the money, chère," he admitted with a chuckle, relaxing a bit. "I was sent by Emma Frost. We've got a bit of a problem on our hands right now and she thinks you might be able to help."

"Because I'm rich and have infinite contacts and resources, or because I used to be one of you?" she asked, moving aside as an admission for him to enter. He shrugged, flinching a bit as the door shut behind him.

"Probably both, Bell. You know the White Queen - she's always looking for an angle. But she truly does want to protect the kids there and right now there ain't no easy way to do it," he told her. "The government's getting dangerous for us. That MRD is attacking and capturing us left and right, even killing some. The mansion won't be a safe place for long." He took a seat and watched her as carefully as she was him, waiting for some reaction. To his surprise, she laughed lightly.

"Your friend may as well reappear, I saw you talking to yourself on the way up," she informed the shocked man with a cynical smile. "Honestly, Remy, how stupid do you think I am? I know someone came with you."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air until Remy sighed. "Game's up, mon ami. Might as show yourself to the lady," he requested, waving a hand dismissively. Wraith popped into sight, looking surprised himself before sweeping a bow to the woman.

"Sorry 'bout the deception, ma'am," he apologized, taking a seat as the woman finally seated herself across from the two men. "We had to be sure you weren't going to…well…"

"Try to kill Remy? No, I have better things with which to occupy my time at the moment," Belladonna said dismissively, returning her attention to Remy. "And it seems there are more demands on my time?"

"It's up to you, Bell. Can't say your help won't be welcome, though," Remy said. "Emma wants to start a vigilante team to protect mutants. Some of the former X-Men have already started to cause trouble - I assume you heard about Deitra?" he asked. She laughed, seeming genuinely amused, tipping her head back slightly before taking a breath.

"I certainly did! If the others have any of that power, I don't envy the White Queen trying to rein them in. Who else would be on this team?" she asked, her tone suddenly sharp. Remy took a moment to collect his thoughts, blinking.

"Emma wants you to lead the team with her - or at least be a generous benefactress," he admitted, sighing under her raised brow. "She wants myself and Wraith here. Wolvie already said he's up for it." This caught her attention and he continued. "Deitra, Warren, Piotr, Berzerker, Magma and Karma would all be in," he said, rattling off the names. "Iceman, Shadowcat and Rogue aren't interested, and Nightcrawler is on the fence at the moment."

"That's quite a team," she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin absently. The two men exchanged glances while she remained silent, apparently contemplating the White Queen's offer. Several minutes passed before she cleared her throat. "The offer is tempting. I have no desire to lead a team into battle, but if funding and a safe haven is needed, I believe I can provide both. What about the children?" she demanded.

"Most are going back to their homes, but some Emma is worried about. They can't control their powers, have physical markings to make them easier targets, that sort of thing," Wraith replied. "She's set up a place called the Massachusetts Academy. It's another school front, but it's gone under the radar so far since there hasn't been any mutant activity recorded there. The kids who can't go home are being moved there for the time being, with a few of the adults staying to help."

"What about Ororo?" Belladonna pressed. "I can't imagine she's condoning any of this."

"Ororo is still at the Academy. Like we said, the kids are getting moved, but not all of them. She and Emma are fighting over everything right now - a new team, what's safe and not, how to handle the MRD," Remy informed her. "We don't know how she'll react if there's another attack on the Academy itself, but so far she hasn't done anything to help the mutants on the outside. She claims pacifism is the way Xavier would have wanted it."

Belladonna snorted, obviously displeased by this information. "Please. Charles wasn't stupid. He's the one who realized he had to fight Magnus and the government in the end. Ororo's a sentimental fool. Consider yourself funded by yours truly, Remy," she informed them, rising to her feet.

"That was a quick decision," the Cajun remarked, a bit taken aback by the announcement. The woman stared at them calmly, as if trying to assess how stupid they truly were.

"Please. What is there to decide? Besides, I've heard it's best not to get on the bad side of the White Queen, if the Hellfire Club is still a part of her life," Belladonna remarked cryptically. "Anyway, I have no wish to see all the mutants in government hands and it seems to be the direction everything is headed. Weapons, money, safe houses - whatever you need, inform my associates. You know how to contact them, I'm sure," she remarked, eyeing Remy in amusement. He merely nodded, reconciling himself to the fact he was going to have contact with the woman more often than he wished now that she was helping their fight.

* * *

Deitra couldn't see a way out of it. She propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at Warren. He was still fast asleep, wings spread out beneath them, and snoring lightly. She groaned and ran a hand through her hair, grimacing as the hangover struck with a vengeance.

_"I can't believe that happened,"_ she thought. Almost two weeks into their self-imposed exile and they had both gotten stinking drunk. One thing had led to another, apparently, and she looked around to see clothes strewn across the floor. She couldn't deny she had feelings for Warren, but sleeping with him while they were both too drunk to see straight wasn't how she had hoped their relationship would progress. She jumped when he shifted, glancing down to see him looking back at her, a similar expression on his face.

"Oh…_oh_," he managed, eyes widening before squeezing shut. She collapsed back onto the bed, feeling soft downy feathers against her skin. "I'm sorry," he said after another moment, opening one eye to look at her.

"I think I propositioned you anyway, so consider yourself taken advantage of," she replied calmly, shrugging slightly. "It's not how I wanted it to happen, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it. What I remember of it, anyway," she added with a frown. He chuckled and brushed his knuckles against her cheek, smiling in her direction.

"I think I'm gonna get in the shower," he told her, sitting up slowly and holding his head gingerly. "A really cold one, I think."

"I'm going to find my clothes," Deitra replied, shifting so he could get out of the bed and watching him make his way to the adjacent bathroom. _"He's got a cute ass,"_ she thought absently, giggling slightly to herself as the door shut. Surprisingly, the realization she had slept with a drunk Warren, while drunk herself, didn't seem so bad considering all the things they had been through together. _"I guess we earned it or something,"_ she reasoned, hugging the pillow to her as she shifted under the sheets. She remembered the previous night only vaguely; his lips against hers, their bodies holding each other, and not much else. Deitra shook her head, smiling into the pillow before stretching lazily. She heard the shower turn on and decided she should try to gather her clothes like she had said. She slid out of the bed and stretched, groaning as her muscles protested while she walked to the window, brushing aside the curtains to see snow settled on the ground in a peaceful white blanket. Winter was holding on with a vengeance - what should have been warm, sunny spring weather was still bitter cold and dead.

She sighed, closing the curtain and heading for her shirt before pausing, tilting her head as if listening to something. Her eyes widened and she straightened, running over to the bathroom and pounding on the door.

"Warren, get out here!" she yelled, moving back to the window and not seeing anything. The water pipes squeaked in protest as the shower stopped. Warren popped his head out a second later, a confused look on his face as he pulled on underpants.

"What's the matter?" he demanded, stepping out into the bedroom and looking around. Deitra shook her head, shoving a pair of jeans at him.

"We have to leave. They're here," she began, before looking down at the ground. Warren swallowed, barely managing to pull his jeans up over his hips before she shoved him to the ground as bullets sprayed over their heads.

"The MRD?" he managed, seeing the capsules were filled with the Cure. She nodded, shaking.

"They found us - I bet I know how," she growled, narrowing her eyes. "I sensed something in the woods. Can you fly us out of here?" she asked, as they got to their knees.

"Yeah, but with them shooting at us…" He trailed off, his thoughts on their survival rate apparent. She nodded, pushing herself up before backing away from him.

"I think it's getting easier for me to control," she assured him, before doubling over with a cry of pain. Warren jumped back as the floor below them began to collapse and looked down to see massive roots breaking through the foundation and first story of the building to meet up with Deitra, who had already transformed. The same empty expression was on her face as she looked around before lowering herself to the ground floor, debris falling around her. Warren's jaw hung open before he followed, careful not to injure his wings on the sharp edges.

MRD agents stormed through windows and doors, surrounding the two mutants in moments. "Put your hands in the air and back against a wall slowly!" a man barked, guns filled with the Cure aimed at the pair. Laser pointers converged on their vulnerable areas and Warren glanced over at Deitra, who seemed to be in a daze and not paying attention to the men.

She suddenly fixed her gaze on the men before launching herself past them, roots curling and growing as she stopped outside, near the tree line. The MRD agents had been too surprised to react, but now fixed all their points on the strange creature. She smiled thinly, raising her hand and letting it hang in the air for a moment before gesturing slightly. Warren gasped as sharp roots shot from the ground underneath the soldiers, impaling many and wounding the rest. The dying men writhed on the roots, their blood dripping on the snow in horrible patterns before being dropped back on the ground, the roots sliding back under the earth.

Deitra remained still as Warren ran over to her, surveying her destruction with a blank expression. He grabbed her arm and shook her, glancing behind him as the soldiers able to move began to regroup and gather their weapons back up.

"Deitra - we have to get going!" he hissed, shaking her again. He spread his wings, preparing to drag her up if necessary, but she nodded slowly, as if his words were taking longer to reach her ears. She blinked a few times before shuddering, the roots and plants drawing back as if being dismissed, before she was back to normal. Warren didn't wait for her to register what was going on before scooping her up and taking off into the air, able to get farther away before the soldiers were able to fire at them.

* * *

He soon felt her shaking and was aware of how cold he was as well, the adrenaline having held if off while they were in danger. Now that they were in the clouds for cover with freezing temperatures around them, however, it was a different story.

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" she demanded through a clenched jaw, arms wrapped firmly around his neck to prevent the possibility of being dropped.

"I have a friend in the area," Warren replied, frowning. "Do you really think my father sent them after us again?" he asked. She hesitated before nodding.

"Who else knew about that place, or that you'd be there after disappearing?" she pointed out. "I don't know anyone who would have tipped them off. You dad must really hate mutants - or me." He glanced down curiously at her and she shrugged. "He already has a bug up his butt about you using his precious resources to find me before. I'm sure he wasn't happy to find out where we were, in one of his own houses, hiding from the government."

Warren sighed, realizing it how unlikely it was that it could have been someone else. Deitra remained quiet, hiding her head in his shoulder. He was a bit startled by her current state. Since he had known her, she had seem rather headstrong and almost indestructible. Her new form frightened him, in both its beauty and deadliness. She broke into his musings abruptly, causing him to jump.

"I thought I could control it," she murmured. "I've been using it while we were there…trying to control it. But fighting…it's like a bloodlust comes over me and all I want to do is kill everyone hurting me," she said, sounding almost embarrassed by this. Warren cleared his throat, unable to argue about the violent aspect.

"Let's just get somewhere safe for now," he decided, realizing he was going to have to take charge in the meantime and uncomfortable with the role. She nodded, glad to let someone else take charge for once.

* * *

They landed in the backyard of Robert Hanor, a friend of Warren's in Haverstraw. The afternoon sun was hazy from the overcast of heavy clouds approaching and the snow took on an ethereal appearance in the misty glow. The ground crunched beneath his feet as he hit the ground, Deitra sliding from his arms, shivering.

"Wait here," he ordered, striding towards the patio door. His back turned, a sudden breeze ruffled his hair and instinct made him turn around, only to see Deitra in her dryad form. He opened his mouth to object, but she only stared demurely at him. _"She must be warmer in that form,"_ he realized, shrugging his words off and striding to the sliding glass door, pounding on it.

"Bob! Get up!" he hollered, sure his friend was still asleep. Sure enough, several minutes later a man about their age appeared, obviously having been roused from bed or sex. He rubbed his eyes, taking a long moment to stare at them, his eyes flickering between the two before he slid the door open. "Took you long enough," Warren grumbled, folding his arms and spreading his wings defensively, blocking Deitra from the man's view.

"Yeah, well, it's - holy shit!" Bob gasped, finally waking up and realizing just how cold it was outside. "Get the fuck inside, man! Explain it in the heat!" he shouted unnecessarily, waving at them to get inside.

"She needs some clothes first," Warren explained patiently, rolling his eyes. "It's a long story, but we're kind of cold. So hurry up!"

"Sure, sure." The man nodded and hurried back inside, returning a few moments with a pile of clothes in his arms. "Debbie doesn't mind sharing," he said, apparently feeling it necessary to explain why he had female clothing so readily available. Warren raised an eyebrow as he took the bundle from his head and the man shrugged in defeat. "All right, she's gone for the weekend with some friends. Some spa trip. Just come in when you're ready, I'll get some coffee going," he told them, retreating back into the heat.

Warren rolled his eyes and lowered his wings, turning to see Deitra already shivering next to him, back in human form. "It's harder to control when I'm cold," she managed, her skin rising in goose bumps. "Gimmie the damn clothes, Warren!" she added, doing a little dance to save her feet. He couldn't help but grin, dropping a light kiss on her head as he dumped the clothes on her.

"All right, I'll be inside," he told her, giving her some privacy as well. She shook her head before pulling the clothes on, relieved Warren's friend had remembered underwear and a bra. They fit comfortably enough, as did the jeans and sweatshirt, and she carried the socks and sneakers in with her, having had enough of the snow. Both men looked up as she sat down in a chair and bent over to pull on the footwear.

"Warren explained what's going on," Robert told her when she glanced up curiously. He pulled a face that suggested he wasn't very happy, but other than that, there was no indication of irritation. "You guys can crash here for a while, but Debbie isn't going to be happy to find you guys here."

"I figured as much. We'll be gone as soon as possible," Warren promised, gesturing for Deitra to move to the couch next to him. She obeyed gratefully, still shaken by her violence earlier, and was surprised when he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her back against him. His sudden take-charge manner surprised her, but it was a relief at the same time. The three adults remained silent for a few minutes before Robert got to his feet with a sigh.

"Lemme go make some coffee, you two look like shit," he suggested, exchanging a wry grin with his friend before shuffling off into the other room. The sounds of daily kitchen routines reached their ears seconds later and they both relaxed visibly, without realizing they had tensed up in the first place. The couple shared a few moments of silence before black swirling mist appeared in front of them, heralding the entrance of Nightcrawler.

"Sorry to trouble you, mien freund, but I have a proposition for you," he greeted them, a sly grin on his face.


End file.
